ABANTU @ 10

Climate Change also known as global warming refers to any significant change in measures of climate such as temperature, precipitation or wind lasting for a longer period usually decades or more. Climate Change is caused by the increasing greenhouse gases from activities such as burning of fossil fuel(coal,oil and natural gas), land clearing and intensive agriculture. Carbon dioxide (CO2) methane( CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are among the green house gases making the largest contribution to global warming.
Climate Change has become a global threat with grave consequences for under-developed and developing countries. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that the impact of climate change will be differently distributed among different regions, generations, age, class, income groups, occupations and genders. The poorest of communities have been identified as those who will be worse affected by climate change.

Already, the impacts and risks associated with climate change are happening  in many systems and sectors essential for human livelihoods including water resources, food security, coastal zones and health. In Ghana, the main impacts of climate change on ecological, economic and social systems are: ecosystems and natural habitat; forests; desertification and land degradation; aquatic ecosystem; water resources, tourism; food agriculture, human health and human settlement and infrastructure.
Over a decade ago, attempt at reducing global warming led to an international treaty known as the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which most countries signed onto. Later on in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol which had more powerful (and legally binding) measures was added to the UNFCCC. The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is expected to end in 2012.

In 2007, the Bali Action Plan was agreed at the UN Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia. The Plan launched a “comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long term cooperation action, now, up to and beyond 2012’. The Bali Action Plan was structured under five building blocks: Shared vision, Adaptation, Mitigation, Finance and Technology.
Recent  efforts by the United Nations to put in place a new multilateral framework to take effect after the 2012 commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol failed to reach agreement.

An ambitious outcome was required at the December 2009 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. However, after intense negotiations, activism and lobbying an accord which eventually come out was not unanimously adopted by Parties but was taken note of. This accord could then be the basis of further negotiations before the Mexico climate in 2010. Ghana has since January 2010 indicated her support for the Accord which enjoins the country to implement actions in compliance with the five identified pillars for the benefit of the citizenry.

The increasing relevance of climate change in the lives of citizens and the activities being implemented at all level through the initiatives of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC)  led ABANTU to actively participate in advocacy at all levels with other organizations to promote gender responsiveness in policy formulation processes on Climate Change.
In 2008, ABANTU started work on the Gender and Climate Change thematic area with the goal of deepening and sharing knowledge with a range of actors in the field to strengthen policy advocacy. Initially, a core group of activists on gender and climate change came together to develop the Gender and Climate Change Programme and mobilize groups to constitute the Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES).
Membership to the Coalition is open to individuals and organizations committed to gender equality, women’s right and climate justice.