Athens World Wide Views on Climate Change and Energy

Chair of COMPSUD Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, keynote speaker at the "Athens World Views on Climate Change and Energy" ahead of COP21, Paris

"People around the world see climate change

impact their lives every day. They ask for action now"

Stipulating the crucial role of the citizens input during the global debate on Climate Change, Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou was the keynote speaker at the "Athens World Wide Views on Climate and Energy". The Greek audience applauded the chance to take part at the event the first of a series of large global citizens consultations ahead of COP 21 in Paris. The participants were informed on the IPCC Reports on Climate Change, the international consultation process and were asked to vote on the steps that should be taken in Paris.

Dr. Avgerinopoulou, who Chairs the Circle of the Mediterranean Parliamentarians on Sustainable Development, COMPSUD, and was a f. Chair, of the IPU Committee on UN Affairs  said: " Our public consultation takes place in the heart of Athens, the cradle of Democracy. I cannot, thus, avoid commending that public consultations as a means of policy- and decision-making are and should be in the heart of global democratic governance. Dr. Avgerinopoulou asked for the vivid support of public participation in climate change negotiations now and in the future.

The "World Wide Views", pilot project of globally constructed public consultations offers an initial answer to the question on how to fill the so-called "democratic gap" on the international level. More constructed dialogue processes should officially take place before environmental meetings of such international importance, as the 21st United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

Due to lack of specialized environmental education and limited access to information, the involvement of the public in climate change consultations is of vital importance. The "public factor" acts correctively to the divergence of opinions that actually exists between the scientific community. Even today, a small minority of scientists still believe that climate change is not anthropogenic, does not occur and that there is not much we can do to reverse it.

However, people, in cities and villages, all over the world feel the consequences of climate change in their everyday lives. Farmers see their cultivations being too often destroyed by unusually extreme weather conditions; fishermen observe changes in the natural routes and habitats of fisheries and depletion of fish resources due to illegal overfishing; coastal populations lose part of their coasts as sea level rises; urban populations cannot enjoy healthy lives in the cities due to high temperatures; people in vulnerable regions of the world suffer under extreme weather conditions, and natural disasters. All of these people know very well that climate change exists and that the international community has to do something to avert it now!

Public participation in the climate change negotiations signifies the end of ambiguity in the climate change debate. People from all over the world request immediate action and changes in both international and domestic policy choices and the economy.

In December 2015, in Paris, in view of the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2020, the international community should move forward and adopt a new legally binding protocol to combat climate change. The Protocol should not only be binding, but should also be ratified by all countries. There should be no "free riders" in a climate just world.

We see now that people from all over the world demand from their political leaders to;

• act decisively and adopt bold binding goals for the reduction of CO,
• adopt binding commitments both for developed and developing countries, while assisting developing countries with the adoption of nationally appropriate mitigation actions enhancedby technology, financing and capacity-building;
• develop adaptation plans for all;
• protect forests worldwide in order to protect our climate and us;
• protect our valuable biodiversity and maintain the habitats for all species;
• restructure the economies in order to untap the green investment potential; invest in clean energy; and make patterns of production and consumption more sustainable;
• advance education and foster societal changes leading to a more smart and inclusive sustainable development; and
• last but not least, develop new technologies for capture, storage, conversion and reuse of CO and other Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), in order to mitigate the phenomenon as quickly as possible.

Recalling international instruments, among others: "The Future We Want", "Harmony with Nature", the "Quito Communique", the UN Sustainable Development Goals and overarching principles of Public International Law and Relations, among which the Principle of Harmony;

envisioning a zero waste society, a low carbon economy, a harmonious life among other species, and environmental justice among peoples and among generations;

Athens, Greece, is today sending the strongest message to the participants of COP 21:  STOP CLIMATE CHANGE NOW. Together we can do it! Go world!"

Dr. Avgerinopoulou, a f.M.P, of the Hellenic Parliament and f.President of the "Special Permanent Committee on Environmental Protection of the Hellenic Parliament" ended her speech asking from the hosts of the event, namely, the Commission for the Study of the Climate Change Impacts of the Bank of Greece,  the Mariolopoulio-Kanaginio Foundation for Environmental Sciences and the Master's Program of the School of Medicine of the National and Kapodestrian University of Athens  on "Environment and Health", headed by Professor Nikolopoulou - Stamati,  to convey the message of the Greek people "directly to the Capital of France". As Dionysia stated "Paris,will be the capital of the world for a few days in November and December of 2015, when the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is going to take place, in order to pave the way, mitigate climate change and alleviate its impact on human society and our natural environment".