Climate Vulnerable Forum
Encyclopedia
The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is a global partnership of countries disproportionately affected by the consequences of global warming
as a result of heightened socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities that actively seek a firm and urgent resolution to a current intensification of climate change
, both domestically and internationally.
The CVF was formed as a means of amplifying accountability on industrialized nations for the harmful consequences of global climate change and to exert additional pressure for ambitious action to tackle the challenge, including through local steps by vulnerable countries. Political leaders involved in the CVF have been described as “using their status as those most vulnerable to climate change to punch far above their weight at the negotiating table”. The CVF differs notably from other initiatives because founding governments agreed to national commitments for pursuing low-carbon development or carbon neutrality.
government just prior to the major United Nations Copenhagen Summit in late 2009, where it sought a heightened awareness and presence of the vulnerable. Eleven governments from Africa
, Asia
, the Americas
and the Pacific representing some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change met near the Maldives capital of Malé
in November 2009 and signed the CVF into force with a declaration that expressed alarm at the pace of change and damages taking hold as a result of global warming
. The declaration referred to “an existential threat to our nations, our cultures and to our way of life”, that also “undermines the internationally-protected human rights of our people”.
The initiative was among a group of countries that emit very small amounts of warming greenhouse gases, but pledged a commitment to lead the world into a low-carbon and ultimately carbon-neutral economy. The CVF nevertheless recognized the need for international support to achieve these objectives within vulnerable countries. A number of vulnerable countries, among them key figures in the CVF, especially Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed
, subsequently captured significant media attention at the Copenhagen Summit and were involved in closed negotiations there with leaders of global powers, such as the US and China
. The CVF Declaration committed to achieve a concentration of no more than 350
parts-per-million of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, and to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or below above pre-industrial levels, later adopted as a position also by the Alliance of Small Island States
. Antigua and Barbuda
, Costa Rica
, Ethiopia
, Marshall Islands
and Samoa
also subsequently followed the Maldives
as developing countries committed to aggressive national low-carbon development if not carbon neutrality.
, the first country to pledge to achieve carbon neutrality. Maldives also made a mark in the public sphere by holding an Underwater Cabinet Meeting on the dangers of sea level rise caused by global warming.
The Maldives was the first Chair of the CVF from 2009 to 2010.
is the previous chair of the CVF (2010 to 2011).
During its leadership, Kiribati
hosted the Tarawa Climate Change Conference
, on November 9-11, 2010, where the Ambo Declaration was signed by 12 countries: Kiribati
, the Solomon Islands
, Tonga
, the Republic of the Maldives, Cuba
, Brazil
, Fiji
, Japan
, China
, the Marshall Islands
, New Zealand
and Australia
.
(2011 to 2012) is the current chair of the CVF.
The government of Bangladesh
hosted a ministerial meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum on November 13-14, 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
were the keynote speakers of the Forum inauguration ceremony.
The Dhaka Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum was adopted on 14 November 2011 by 19 climate vulnerable countries.
, China
, Denmark
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
, European Union
, France
, Germany
, India
, Indonesia
, Japan
, Mexico
, Netherlands
, New Zealand
, Nigeria
, Norway
, Pakistan
, Qatar
, Russia
, South Africa
, South Korea
, Spain
, Sweden
, Thailand
, United Kingdom
and United States
, has been providing institutional support to the Climate Vulnerable Forum.
2010: The State of the Climate Crisis in December 2010, a global study covering 184 countries of the short-term impacts of climate change in four key areas: health, weather disasters, habitat loss and economic stress. .
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
as a result of heightened socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities that actively seek a firm and urgent resolution to a current intensification of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, both domestically and internationally.
The CVF was formed as a means of amplifying accountability on industrialized nations for the harmful consequences of global climate change and to exert additional pressure for ambitious action to tackle the challenge, including through local steps by vulnerable countries. Political leaders involved in the CVF have been described as “using their status as those most vulnerable to climate change to punch far above their weight at the negotiating table”. The CVF differs notably from other initiatives because founding governments agreed to national commitments for pursuing low-carbon development or carbon neutrality.
Formation
The CVF was founded at the initiative of the MaldivesMaldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
government just prior to the major United Nations Copenhagen Summit in late 2009, where it sought a heightened awareness and presence of the vulnerable. Eleven governments from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and the Pacific representing some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change met near the Maldives capital of Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
in November 2009 and signed the CVF into force with a declaration that expressed alarm at the pace of change and damages taking hold as a result of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. The declaration referred to “an existential threat to our nations, our cultures and to our way of life”, that also “undermines the internationally-protected human rights of our people”.
The initiative was among a group of countries that emit very small amounts of warming greenhouse gases, but pledged a commitment to lead the world into a low-carbon and ultimately carbon-neutral economy. The CVF nevertheless recognized the need for international support to achieve these objectives within vulnerable countries. A number of vulnerable countries, among them key figures in the CVF, especially Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
, subsequently captured significant media attention at the Copenhagen Summit and were involved in closed negotiations there with leaders of global powers, such as the US and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The CVF Declaration committed to achieve a concentration of no more than 350
350.org
350.org is an international environmental organization, headed by author Bill McKibben, with the goal of building a global grassroots movement to raise awareness of anthropogenic climate change, to confront climate change denial, and to cut emissions of one of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide,...
parts-per-million of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, and to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or below above pre-industrial levels, later adopted as a position also by the Alliance of Small Island States
Alliance of Small Island States
Alliance of Small Island States is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small Island countries. Established in 1990, the main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States to address global warming...
. Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
also subsequently followed the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
as developing countries committed to aggressive national low-carbon development if not carbon neutrality.
Maldives
The founding countries pledged to show moral leadership and commence greening their economies by voluntarily committing to achieving carbon neutrality. They called upon all countries to follow the moral leadership shown by the MaldivesMaldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, the first country to pledge to achieve carbon neutrality. Maldives also made a mark in the public sphere by holding an Underwater Cabinet Meeting on the dangers of sea level rise caused by global warming.
The Maldives was the first Chair of the CVF from 2009 to 2010.
Kiribati
KiribatiKiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
is the previous chair of the CVF (2010 to 2011).
During its leadership, Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
hosted the Tarawa Climate Change Conference
Tarawa Climate Change Conference
The Tarawa Climate Change Conference , was held in the Republic of Kiribati from 9 to 10 November 2010. The purpose of the conference was to support the initiative of the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, to hold a consultative forum between vulnerable states and their partners with a view of...
, on November 9-11, 2010, where the Ambo Declaration was signed by 12 countries: Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, the Republic of the Maldives, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Bangladesh
BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
(2011 to 2012) is the current chair of the CVF.
The government of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
hosted a ministerial meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum on November 13-14, 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
were the keynote speakers of the Forum inauguration ceremony.
The Dhaka Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum was adopted on 14 November 2011 by 19 climate vulnerable countries.
Founding countries
The founding governments of the CVF who signed its first declaration near Malé on Bandos Island are (initiator)Observer countries
AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Meetings
| CVF Meetings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Date | Country | Host | Host leader |
| 1st | 10 November 2009 |  Maldives |
Malé Malé Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where... |
Mohamed Nasheed Mohamed Nasheed Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting... |
| 2nd | 9-11 November 2010 |  Kiribati |
Tarawa | Anote Tong Anote Tong Anote Tong is an I-Kiribati politician with Chinese heritage. He is the current President of Kiribati. He won the election in July 2003 with a slim plurality of votes cast against his brother, Dr. Harry Tong and the private lawyer Banuera Berina... |
| 3rd | 13-14 November 2011 |  Bangladesh |
Dhaka Dhaka Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city... |
Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear... |
DARA
DARA (international organization), based in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, has been providing institutional support to the Climate Vulnerable Forum.
Climate Vulnerability Monitor
The Climate Vulnerable Forum, along with DARA (international organization), published the Climate Vulnerability MonitorClimate Vulnerability Monitor
The Climate Vulnerability Monitor is an independent global assessment of the effect of climate change on the world’s populations brought together by panels of key international authorities...
2010: The State of the Climate Crisis in December 2010, a global study covering 184 countries of the short-term impacts of climate change in four key areas: health, weather disasters, habitat loss and economic stress. .
Related Documents
- Climate Vulnerable Forum 2011 Delegate Briefing Notes
- Adopted Dhaka Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum
- Climate Vulnerable Forum 2011 Ministerial Meeting Programme
- Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum
- Ambo Declaration
- Concept Note of the 2011 Climate Vulnerable Forum Meeting in Bangladesh
- Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2010: The State of the Climate Crisis