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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is raising concern that progress is stalling at COP27 and that there is a risk that the ambition to deliver and build on commitments made in Glasgow is slipping away.
With just a few days left for leaders to take decisive action on climate change, commitments to make steep and immediate emission reductions to stay below the 1.5oC warming limit—and thus limit further human suffering—are falling behind. And while negotiators are grappling with issues designed to limit and respond to the rising human impacts of climate change, technical discussions on delivering new and additional finance for loss and damage, as well as adaptation, are progressing too slowly to meet the needs of people.
Instead, the IFRC calls on Parties to build on what was agreed in Glasgow and raise ambition and action on mitigation, adaptation and on loss and damage.
“Combating the climate crisis and its effects takes bold thinking and even more ambitious action. World leaders cannot afford downgrading, but must raise their level of ambition to tackle the climate crisis, which is already dangerous for communities around the globe,” said Francesco Rocca, President of the IFRC.
“Letting up on ambitious goals sends a clear signal back to countries that meeting their previous commitments is optional. This is unacceptable. Communities—especially those most impacted by climate change—need promises that deliver with new and additional support to meet the scale of needs,” remarked Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC.
This is the critical decade for action. The world cannot afford to stall or backtrack on lifesaving commitments. There is no time to delay. Already at 1.1oC warming, IFRC found that 86% of all disasters in the last decade are linked to climate and weather extremes, affecting 1.7 billion people. This is an increase of almost 35% since the 1990s.
Communities are being repeatedly hit by extreme events - such as Kenya, which faced floods then locusts and now a drought triggering food insecurity and leading to malnutrition and death across the horn of Africa.
“We must invest in local action. Without it, we will still be saying the same things at COP28,” reiterated Dr. Asha Mohammed, Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross.
If we are to ever meet the needs of communities suffering these multiple repeated and overlapping events, it is essential to invest in ambitious mitigation, to scale up locally led adaptation and address losses and damages. Parties must respond to the growing demands for finance to reach the local level, reaching communities at the scale needed. These requests must be heard and translated into meaningful decision text.
Recent IFRC research demonstrates that many countries and communities are getting left behind when it comes to investment in climate adaptation. Existing funding is not enough to meet current needs, let alone the increased humanitarian impacts of more frequent and intense extreme weather and climate events.
According to Maarten van Aalst, Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, COP27 needs to deliver on three fronts: tangible progress on mobilizing new and additional funding to address loss and damage; more finance for climate adaptation; and increased ambition to implement rapid emission reductions to keep hopes of limiting warming to 1.5C alive.
To request an interview or for more information, please contact:
In Sharm El-Sheikh:Jenelle Eli, +1 202 603 6803, [email protected]
In Washington: Marie Claudet, +1 202 999 8689, [email protected]
Geneva, 22 June 2021 – The humanitarian sector has a key role to play in addressing the climate and environment crises that affect people’s lives and livelihoods around the world every day. This means walking the talk in terms of integrating climate smart approaches into its work and greening its own operations. The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement invites all humanitarian organizations to sign the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, already adopted by 25 organizations since its launch a month ago.
The Charter, which aims to foster a strong commitment to climate action across the humanitarian community, is designed for all humanitarian organizations – large and small. It was developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with the support of an advisory committee and in consultation with the humanitarian sector. It intends to guide both the humanitarian sector’s approach to the increasing risks resulting from climate change and to address its own carbon and environmental footprint.
“Climate change is an existential threat to humanity, and the entire humanitarian sector needs to take it very seriously. Climate-affected communities across the world understand the scale of the threat, and so do the Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff who work alongside them every day. Much more needs to be done to reduce the risks communities are facing, to help them to build their resilience and adapt to climate shocks and to ensure that humanitarian organizations are reducing their own environmental impacts,” said Mr Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC.
Today’s climate and environmental crises affect all dimensions of our lives, from our physical and mental health to our food, water and economic security. While the crises are affecting everyone, those hit the hardest are the poorest and most marginalized communities, whose capacity is already strained and who have often contributed least to the problem. And the situation is only getting worse.
“We have no time to lose. We have a responsibility to come together, as a humanitarian community, to strengthen our expertise and develop adequate responses to the climate and environmental crises. Joining forces is critical if we want to reduce their impacts on the most vulnerable people,” said ICRC’s Director General Robert Mardini.
Radical transformation is urgently needed to prevent further death and suffering. Analysis by the IFRC[1] found that 97.6 million people were affected by climate- and weather-related disasters in 2019. Protecting the lives and rights of present and future generations depends on political action to cut emissions, halt environmental degradation, and adapt to increasing risks.
“The climate crisis is impacting humanitarian action around the world, and we must urgently step-up and increase our collective efforts to address this challenge. As a network,at ICVA’s 18thGeneral Assembly, we signed on to the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations. ICVA encourages others to sign and implement jointly as our ability to partnerisour most strategic capability,” said Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA).
The Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations is a document for and by humanitarian organizations, intended to help them play their part and highlight their relevance in responding to the climate and environmental crises.
The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement aims to gather a large number of signatures ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021 to signal the strong commitment of the humanitarian community to scaling up its response to the climate and environment crises.
The Charter is open for signature here.
Note to editors
The Charter was developed for the humanitarian community, by the humanitarian community, with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and an advisory committee bringing together climate, environment and humanitarian experts. It is guided by the latest scientific evidence and the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as other relevant international law and standards, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international environmental law.
The Charter’s seven commitments are:
Step up our response to growing humanitarian needs and support those who are the most at risk to the impacts of the climate and environmental crises (adaptation, disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action)
Maximize the environmental sustainability of our work and rapidly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions
Embrace the leadership of local actors and communities: our action will be guided by the leadership and experience of local actors and communities.
Increase our capacity to understand climate and environmental risks and develop evidence-based solutions
Work collaboratively across the humanitarian sector and beyond to strengthen climate and environmental action
Use our influence to mobilize urgent and more ambitious climate action and environmental protection
Develop targets and measure our progress as we implement our commitments.
ICRC and IFRC have both adopted concrete targets and a roadmap for their implementation.
[1] IFRC World Disasters Report 2020: Come Heat or High Water
About IFRC
IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives and promote dignity around the world.
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About ICRC
Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
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New York, 19 September 2019 - A new report by the world’s largest humanitarian network warns that the number of people needing humanitarian assistance every year as a result of climate-related disasters could double by 2050.
The Cost of Doing Nothing – published today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – estimates that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of storms, droughts and floods could climb beyond 200 million annually – compared to an estimated 108 million today.
It further suggests that this rising human toll would come with a huge financial price tag, with climate-related humanitarian costs ballooning to US$20 billion per year by 2030, in the most pessimistic scenario.
Speaking in New York, in the run-up to the UN Climate Action Summit, IFRC President Francesco Rocca said:
“These findings confirm the impact that climate change is having, and will continue to have, on some of the world’s most vulnerable people. It also demonstrates the strain that increasing climate-related disasters could place on aid agencies and donors.”
“The report shows the clear and frightening cost of doing nothing. But it also shows there is a chance to do something. But now is the time to take urgent action. By investing in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, including through efforts to improve early warning and anticipatory humanitarian action, the world can avoid a future marked by escalating suffering and ballooning humanitarian response costs,” said Mr Rocca.
The Cost of Doing Nothing builds on the work and methodology of the World Bank’s Shock Waves report, and draws on data from the UN, the EM-DAT International Disaster Database as well as IFRC’s own disaster statistics. The report shows that we are facing a stark choice. No action and costs are likely to escalate. Take determined and ambitious action now that prioritizes inclusive, climate-smart development and the number of people in need of international humanitarian assistance annually could in fact fall to as low as 68 million by 2030, and even drop further to 10 million by 2050 – a decrease of 90 per cent compared to today.
Julie Arrighi, an advisor at the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre, and one of the main contributors to the report, said:
“In this report, we present some of the potential consequences should the global community fail to step up ambition to address the rising risks in a changing climate. It also shows some of the potential positive outcomes if indeed the global community takes action now to build resilience, adapt and address the current climate crisis
“We hope that this report helps build momentum during the upcoming Climate Action Summit and beyond to increase investment in inclusive, climate-smart development – including reduced emissions, but especially renewed efforts to adapt to the rising risks,” Ms Arrighi said.
Click here todownload the full report.
To download b-roll of climate-related disasters, including interviews with people affected by them, as well as Red Cross climate experts discussing the report, please visit: www.ifrcnewsroom.org
Geneva, 8 July 2021 - Recent rocketing temperatures are having a severe impact on millions of people and putting lives at risk, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned.
Last week’s record-breaking heatwave in parts of the US and Canada, would have been virtually impossible without the influence of human-caused climate change. This is according to a rapid attribution analysis[1] by an international team of leading climate scientists and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. The analysis found that climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, made the heatwave at least 150 times more likely to happen.
IFRC President Francesco Rocca said:“Right now, we are witnessing heat records topple as temperatures rise, with terrifying consequences for millions of people around the world.
“We are responding on the ground, and thanks to our investment in anticipatory action, we are able to better prepare for these crises.”
From wildfires and drought to heat exhaustion and serious heat-related health risks, communities across the globe are struggling to cope with the increased temperatures and frequency of heatwaves.
“The Red Cross and Red Crescent network cannot combat the devastating impact of the climate crisis alone,” added Rocca. “There must be a concerted global effort to deal with the climate emergency, which represents the biggest threat to the future of the planet and its people.”
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are working with those hit hardest by the current heatwaves and those who are most at risk from soaring temperatures - including older people, homeless people, people with COVID-19 and underlying health conditions, those living in isolated areas, and refugees and migrants.
The Head of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, Maarten van Aalst, said: "Heatwaves topped the global charts of deadliest disasters in both 2019 and 2020. Here we have another terrible example - sadly no longer a surprise but part of a very worrying global trend. Many of these deaths can be prevented by adaptation to the hotter heatwaves that we are confronting in the Americas and around the world.”
In the US, American Red Cross teams are working in cooling centres and shelters to support people escaping the dangerous heatwaves, while the Canadian Red Cross is on hand to work with emergency services to respond to deadly wildfires.
In Europe, Red Cross volunteers are providing health and social care support to older and vulnerable people put in danger by the scorching temperatures.
In Pakistan this year, some of the hottest temperatures on record have scorched areas of Sindh province and Pakistan Red Crescent health teams have been helping people, including bike riders and others exposed to extreme heat as they are compelled to work outside earning daily wages.
In Afghanistan, the Afghan Red Crescent and the IFRC are working together to provide urgent cash and food assistance for more than 210,000 people, as one of the worst droughts in decades threatens the food and water supplies.
In the Middle East, Red Crescent Societies, including those in Iran, Iraq and Syria, have been responding to the drought affecting the lives of millions of people. In Saudi Arabia, the Red Crescent has organized a nationwide campaign on mitigating the health hazards caused by the temperatures climbing up to 50C.
As the number of climate-related emergencies increase globally each year,the IFRC and its National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are increasing their support to the most vulnerable communities around the world.
In 2020, 75 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies received nearly 37 million dollars to support 109 emergency operations - the majority of which were floods and cyclones in the Asia Pacific region and Africa.
[1] Link will be live from 00.01am CET 8 July 2021
Climate change is not only a threat to the future of our planet, it is already driving humanitarian crises around the world. We are calling for urgent action to save lives now and in the years to come.
Geneva, 8 October 2018 –Climate change is already making emergency response efforts around the world more difficult, more unpredictable and more complex, according to the world’s largest humanitarian network.
This warning from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) coincides with the launch of a UN Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report that sets out the predicted impacts of both a 1.5°C and a 2.0°C rise in the global average temperature by 2099.
IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “More than half of our operations are now in direct response to weather-related events, and many others are compounded by climate shocks and stresses. If this is the situation now, then it is difficult to comprehend the scale of crises confronting vulnerable communities in a world that is 1.5°C or 2.0°C hotter.”
In 2017, IFRC and the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network responded to over 110 emergencies, reaching more than 8 million people. More than half of these were in response to weather-related events.
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are also bearing witness to rising climate displacement. Weather-related events displaced 23.5 million people in 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Mr Rocca said: “In a 1.5°C-warmer world, more extreme-weather events will affect everyone. But it will be especially cruel for communities that are already struggling to survive because of conflict, insecurity or poverty.
“We are already working with some of these communities to help them anticipate and adapt to what might be to come. These efforts need to increase significantly. A higher proportion of global climate finance needs to be dedicated to helping these communities adapt to changing risks. Currently, not event 10 per cent of funding does this.”
Dr Maarten van Aalst, a climate scientist and director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre based in The Hague, added: “Climate remains at the centre of the international agenda. In 2018, we have seen lethal heatwaves and wildfires across the Northern Hemisphere, including in unexpected places like eastern Canada, Japan and Sweden. A rapid analysis in July by an international group of climate scientists showed that in some European locations climate change made the heatwave at least twice as likely.”
Today’s IPCC report sets the scene for COP 24 which opens in Katowice, Poland on 3 December. Mr Rocca said: “COP 24 must deliver a rigorous rule book for how to implement the Paris Agreement. No one can afford half measures; our future existence depends upon it.
“IFRC welcomes this IPCC report. We hope this leads to action. Millions of lives – and billions of dollars of disaster response – are at stake.”
This document aims at providing National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with an overview of some dedicated funding sources for climate change. The guide also provides some basic information on how to access these funds.
Climate change is not a future problem, it is a threat to humanity that we see in our work with communities every day. Through ourGlobal Climate Resilience Programme, we're helping people adapt to climate change and reduce their climate-related risks.
Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2020 – Indonesian Red Cross is calling on Indonesians to continue practising physical distancing and to exercise greater caution to prevent COVID-19 infections from spiralling out of control as the country adapts to a `new normal’.
COVID-19 cases continue to climb rapidly in Indonesia, with more than 1000 new cases being diagnosed every day over the past three weeks, with a record high of over 2,600 people infected by coronavirus. The country is the hardest hit in South East Asia, with more than 91,751 cases and at least 4,459 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University COVID-19 database.
In response to this surge in cases, Red Cross is actively sending stronger public messaging through awareness campaigns, to contain the spread of the virus, especially as restrictions start to ease in much of the country. In what has been called the “new normal”, offices, schools, places of worship, malls, markets, and tourist attractions are reopening in some regions as four months of large-scale social restrictions are lifted.
Indonesian Red Cross Secretary General Sudirman Said: “Transmissions will continue to rise unless communities adapt their daily lives by applying strict health protocols during this new normal phase.”
“We are intensifying our efforts to educate the public about the importance of changing their behaviour for good by physical distancing, wearing masks and practising good hygiene. We are mobilizing our thousands of brave volunteers to work directly and safely with communities while reaching out on social media and across radio airwaves and loudspeakers.
“These times are tough, but people are staying strong. The challenge is to effectively reach all our diverse communities living on 6,000 inhabited islands. This calls for a unified, unprecedented, large scale effort to reach all parts of society, in every corner of our country.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian Red Cross is mobilising around 7,000 volunteers to provide important health services to 1.5 million people. Volunteers have also carried out health promotion activities for more than five million people focusing on eight priority provinces which have the highest COVID-19 cases in the country, which is the fourth most populous in the world.
This effort has been backed by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), which launched a global appeal to provide support to the world’s most at risk countries, including Indonesia.
Jan Gelfand,Head ofIndonesia Country Office,InternationalFederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society said: “This global pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge, requiring global cooperation but a local response. As cases rise in Indonesia, Red Cross is doubling its efforts, using all available resources to slow the spread of this virus. Red Cross recognises that individuals and communities have a critical role to play, by changing their behaviour, they can help to control COVID in this new normal.”
Geneva,8 September 2020 –Climate:Red, a fully virtual and truly global climate change summit, is bringing youth champions, activists, indigenous leaders, scientists and government ministers together on 9 – 10 September 2020 for 30 hours of innovation, ideas, and action to tackle the climate emergency.
The summit has been organised by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to mobilise support for climate action, and encourage the sharing of ideas and experiences. The event will run for 30 consecutive hours to allow people in all time zones to get involved, and is open for everyone to join.
IFRC President Francesco Rocca said: “While the world’s attention has been turned to COVID-19, the climate crisis continues to unfold. Climate change is already a humanitarian crisis, and the scale of the suffering it causes will only get worse."
“The Red Cross and Red Crescent is committed to massively scaling up our climate action, and this summit will mobilize our global network to meet those commitments. Climate:Red is also an opportunity to engage with and inspire an enormous network of change agents.”
Climate:Red has a crowdsourced programme with around 200 sessions and speakers. In addition to leadership, staff and volunteers from the Red Cross and Red Crescent network, the summit will feature leading scientists, government ministers, CEOs, youth champions, climate activists and people in remote communities driving climate change initiatives every day.
High-level speakers include His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Honorable Casten N. Nemra, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of the Marshall Islands; Michael Köhler, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation (DG ECHO); Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland and many others.
The vast range of sessions also demonstrate the diverse, cross-cutting and far-reaching nature of Red Cross and Red Crescent climate work. For instance, there will be a roundtable discussion with indigenous leaders from around the world, messages from young Red Cross and Red Crescent climate champions, an ignite talk about the role of art in raising awareness about climate change in Sudan, and a variety of interactive panels, workshops, virtual games and live podcasts.
During the event, the shortlisted candidates of the Climate:Red innovation competition will pitch their ideas and new ventures to address climate change in the Innovation Pitch Tent open on Thursday 10 September at 13:30 CEST. The audience can vote for their favourite, and competition winners will receive funding to help implement their ideas.
The full schedule with all speakers and sessions is available for registered attendees in climate.red. The summit is open to all members of the public, and all of the main stage sessions at climate.red will be available in English, French, Arabic and Spanish.
IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said: “We always envisaged Climate:Red summit as our first fully virtual global event, and I hope as many people as possible will take the opportunity to join the summit across its 30 hours of ideas and inspiration.
“Climate change affects us all, no matter who we are or where we’re living. We need to talk to each other, and support each other, if we are to rise to the many challenges and overcome them. Climate:Red will help us do this by creating a space for learning, sharing, exploring and strategizing on how we can scale up our climate action.”
Climate:Red Summit starts on Wednesday 9 September at 12:00 CEST in the Climate:Red platform: https://climate.red
This fact sheet provides an overview and recommendations on the importance of Disaster Law and Policy for addressing displacement in the context of disasters and climate change.
Because the climate crisis will require mobilization of local efforts at an unprecedented scale, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) network is launching the Global Climate Resilience Platform, with the objective of catalyzing at least CHF 1 billion in investment and support for locally-led climate action that reaches the most vulnerable.
The IFRC aims to build coherence between the humanitarian, development and climate change agendas whilst promoting and implementing integrated risk management approaches at the national and local level to increase overall resilience.
This framework sets out how we intend to keep pace with the changing operational, scientific and policy landscapes on climate, defining a stronger role for the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement both through programmes in the field and advocacy in the corridors of power.
Your Excellencies and Colleagues,
On behalf of the IFRC, thank you for inviting me to speak here today. Due to time, I kindly acknowledge all protocols to be observed.
I welcome the UN Secretary-General’s pledge on Early Warning Systems for All (EW4A). This pledge, rightly put in the hands of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is a very timely and achievable initiative that contributes to keeping people safe across the globe, but especially in the furthest to reach places, where the most at-risk and vulnerable to climate change live.
Since the establishment of IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) over 35 years ago, IFRC and our member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have supported governments prepare for, manage, and respond to disasters. Every year, DREF is used ahead of and in response to over 100 small and medium sized disasters and has supported over 200 million people.
We know from our long experience that early warnings that lead to early actionssave lives.
Excellencies,
Over the last decade, some of the most recent - and often predicted -extreme weather events were the most deadly, costly, devastating. Early warnings can only work if they are turned into early actions and response. Here is how:
First, improve the decision-making process, data and information to identify triggers and decide when and where to act before a disaster. What and who is likely to be impacted must underpin all our actions.
Second, improve early action planning, systems, and local capacities to reduce risks and prepare for an effective early action.
Third, and most importantly, create and adapt financing mechanisms, like DREF, that can disburse funds for pre-agreed plans ahead of the disaster to reduce the humanitarian impact. Additional funding is especially needed for early warning communications and dissemination and the ability to translate these warnings into action.
In the last decade, humanitarian organizations have invested in enhancing and transforming early warning systems into anticipatory action approaches. Adequate, sustained and coordinated resources are needed to bring these approaches to scale.
This requires a systematic shift in funding flows for us to move to scalable action. At the same time, early warning and early action systems need to be seen as development and climate issues, rather than exclusive humanitarian tools.
In closing, the IFRC network, along with the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and Anticipation Hub, look to collaborate with WMO and other actors in investing in early warnings that lead to early actions and response.
Together, let us ensure that early warnings are clear, tailored, and people-centered, and that they support people in the furthest to reach places.
Thank you.
This overview document explores the IFRC's Global Climate Resilience Programme in detail, showing how we will scale up locally-led climate-smart disaster risk reduction and adaptation to help communities worldwide protect themselves from climate risks. It outlines the challenge, our approach, example projects and the different contexts in different regions of the world.
Visit the programme page for more information.