• Speech (pdf format)

Mr. President of the Republic of Maldives,
Mr. President of the European Commission,
Commissioner Louis Michel,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me start by wishing all the participants at these European Development Days a warm welcome to Lisbon.

It is the first time that a Presidency of the Council has hosted this important initiative of the European Commission. It therefore gives me great pleasure as President of the European Council and Prime Minister of Portugal to participate in this opening ceremony of the second edition of the European Development Days. 

I would also like to salute the opportune choice of this year's theme: Climate change and development cooperation. And let me stress the importance this subject holds for the Portuguese Presidency and for Portugal.

Firstly, because it involves debate on the greatest challenge facing the world today: climate change and its implications on world development.

Secondly, because the Portuguese Presidency has sought to contribute to a coherent position in the EU on the interlinking of climate change policies and development cooperation policies.

Lastly, because we are determined to find pragmatic solutions in the field of adaptation to climate change, particularly in the region of the world whose populations suffer its most immediate and most devastating consequences. I am referring to the African continent. 

It is precisely for these reasons that climate change is an important component of both the joint Strategy and the Action Plan that we will adopt in Lisbon at the Summit between the EU and Africa in December.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Development Days are a unique opportunity for debate at the highest level and with the participation of European citizens and civil society on this subject of such pertinence to the world population's present and future development.

Development and climate change: this is the central and unavoidable equation on the international agenda. 

The challenges are varied and complex, but it is vital that we are all ready to contribute to the targets proposed both by the Kyoto Protocol and the Millennium Development Goals.

The scientific evidence set out in the most recent report of the «Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change», who together with Al Gore have just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, increases the previous warnings about the magnitude of the impacts of climate change: in environmental, economic, social and security threats. 

As I have already mentioned, the Portuguese Presidency has placed special emphasis on this matter. Recently, at the Informal Lisbon Summit, the Heads of State and Governments took the opportunity to strengthen the European Union's key message. And climate change is certainly a priority in the Declaration we will adopt on Globalisation in December.

But there is one initiative that I want to highlight. Last week, representatives of the main carbon markets met here in Lisbon and we emphasised yet again that we are ready to act together in the scope of the International Carbon Action Partnership to combat the scourge of climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol creates some cooperation mechanisms that have developed in recent years in the global carbon markets and that have already led to funding totalling roughly 5 thousand million euros. The European leadership of the Emissions Trading System is undoubtedly an encouraging step in the development of an international response to climate change.

We must bet in the creation of a global carbon market that generates funding and creativity for the public and private sectors, not only in the area of the research and development of new clean technologies but also in the adaptation to the effects of climate change.

If we are to meet the targets set, the most developed countries and the EU in particular must take the lead in commitments made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. 

At the internal level, Europe is already adopting strategies aimed at sustainable development standards, using innovative technologies and renewable energies. Today nobody doubts that the link between energy and innovation is called «climate change».

In March this year, we agreed to cut our greenhouse gases by at least 20% in 2020 and launched an appeal for greenhouse gases to be 50% lower than 1990 levels by 2050.

Awareness among European and world public opinion, in the scientific community and among politicians has been growing.

This is the path that must be followed. But we cannot do it alone. That is why the European Union must take the lead on this issue at world level. The time has come to prepare the new multilateral system.

We are aware that action is imperative. So the Portuguese Presidency has participated actively in this field through cooperation with the largest economies and by negotiating a common and cohesive position for the Bali Conference.

But we cannot curb global warming by merely cutting emissions in the developed countries.

We need to motivate and be able to count on the contribution of the developing countries with very high growth rates such as China, India and Brazil.

We will face the next great challenge in Bali next December. And the challenge is very clear: to build the post 2012 climate regime with a common vision and shared commitments.

Success can only be achieved at the Bali Conference with the hard work and dedication of everyone in the negotiations on both the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

It is a hard process but there are reasons to believe that we can improve our action.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would also like to stress the timeliness of the relation between climate change and development and between climate change, development and security.

Everything indicates that climate change has the greatest impact on the Least Advanced Countries and the Small Island Developing States. Therefore, fighting climate change is also fighting poverty and under development.

If we take Africa, for example, although the continent as a whole is the one that contributes least to climate change, ironically it is the most vulnerable, notably in questions of human security. In the African continent where the economies are largely agriculture-based, climate change has brought about profound changes in the agricultural systems, sparking serious failures in food safety and, as a result, dramatic relocations of populations in search of better living conditions. 

These large scale movements of populations very often endanger the economic and social equilibrium and can lead to intra national and even regional conflicts. 

The EU is in the vanguard here too. The recent Communication from the Commission «to form a Global Alliance for Climate Change between the EU and the developing countries» allows us to work on a structured approach as a complement to the existing process, namely the Framework Convention of the United Nations and the Kyoto Protocol.  

The EU-Africa Strategy, which will be adopted at the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon at the start of December, is based on an action plan that includes both better access to Clean Development Mechanisms and common interests in the adaptation to the impacts of climate change, notably in terms of migrations, economic development and security.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We all know that the great challenges can only be overcome if everyone participates. In this context, the European Development Days are of vital importance.   

As a Forum that brings together experts and scientists, parliamentarians, organisations from civil society, Governors of the EU and Governors of  the developing countries, all working towards the same objective, its communication role between institutional actors and the European public assumes undeniable proportions.

It is a special event in its structure, nature and goals. It is not a place for decisions. On the contrary, it aims to provide open and innovative debate based on exchange between the different actors. It is a first step in the search for a coherent approach to the equation of climate change and development for all.

But we have important decisions ahead of us. Decisions that we must take together, so that the best response is found to what is the greatest global challenge facing mankind today.

I am sure that this debate will make an important contribution to the political and scientific reflection and to our joint action.

I wish you all an excellent stay in Lisbon and a productive working session. 

Thank you very much.