TOGETHER WE CAN MEET THE CLIMATE-CHANGE CHALLENGE

       US President Barack Obama will speak to world leaders on climate change during a special UN summit in New York on the eve of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly.
       The nations of the world are working hard right now to negotiate a new international agreement to combat climate change.
       Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our world today. Already its impacts are apparent and consequences severe. Arctic sea ice is disappearing faster than expected. Sea levels threaten to rise higher than previously anticipated. And water supplies are increasingly at risk from both melting glaciers and extreme climate events, such as droughts and floods. These changes threaten not only the environment, but also security and stability.
       The science sends a simple and stark message: All countries must work together to combat climate change, and the time for action is now.
       President Obama recognises that the United States must be a leader in the global effort to combat climate change. We have a responsibility as the world's largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases. We know that without US emissions reductions, no solution to climate change is possible, so the US will take the lead in building a 21 st-century clean energy economy.
       When it comes to climate change, President Obama is taking the US in a new direction. The President called on the US Congress to develop comprehensive clean energy legislation to cut emissions 14 per cent from 2005 levels and 83 per cent in 2050. A bill has passed the House of Representatives and is making its way through Congress. The President's economic stimulus package includes over US$80 billion for clean energy. And recently instituted vehicle standards will increase fuel economy and reduce emissions.
       But action by the US and other developed nations is not enough. To preserve a safe and liveable planet, all major emitting nations have to join together to take strong action. There is no other way to contain climate change - the International Energy Agency estimates 97 per cent of future emissions growth will come from the developing world.
       The US is pursuing a global strategy to combat climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating process, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate and key bilateral relationships. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other high-level US officials have travelled to several major developing nations to deepen the climate dialogue and explore opportunities for progress. Many of these countries have already taken steps to address climate change; yet they will need to do much more.
       To achieve a strong international agreement and meet the climate challenge, all countries must be fully engaged. Developed countries need to reduce their emissions substantially by 2020 on an absolute basis, compared to a 2005 or 1990 baseline. Major developing nations must take actions that will substantially reduce their emissions by 2020 on a relative basis, compared to their so-called "business as usual" path. Other developing countries should focus on preparing low-carbon growth plans - with financial and technical assistance where needed - to guide their longer-term development path.
       Ultimately, a climate change agreement must be about not only limiting carbon emissions but also about providing a safe pathway for sustainable development. Clean energy development is the only sustainable way forward. To facilitate this path, countries with advanced capabilities must stand ready to develop and disseminate technologies to countries in need.
       If we work together, the effort to build a clean energy global economy can provide significant economic opportunity, driving investment, economic growth and job creation around the world. And it can be a means to bring energy services to hundreds of millions of the world's poor. With the right support, developing countries can leapfrog dirty phases of development directly to low-carbon technologies and clean energy opportunities.
       We are mindful that Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations are among the most at risk from the effects of climate change. For Thailand, rising sea levels threaten Bangkok with inundation, while coastal populations face the danger of more severe natural disasters, such as tsunamis. As the world's number-one rice exporter, Thailand is a key nation for the region's food security, and projected increases in the severity of droughts and floods are a major risk. Advances in agricultural technology are one answer to such threats to food production. We are pleased to see that Thailand has taken the threat seriously, establishing a well-staffed office within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment devoted to climate change.
       Though not a major emitter of greenhouse gases, Thailand is playing an important role as a regional leader in promoting clean and alternative energy technologies and practices that can help reduce emissions in other countries. While the US has supported Thailand with sustained assistance in the past, today the US and Thailand are working increasingly in partnership to meet climate change and related challenges to the environment.
       Secretary of State Clinton announced in July an important engagement with the countries of the lower Mekong River, where addressing climate change impacts will be key for maintaining food security. Other US agencies, such as the US Agency for International Development, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, are actively collaborating with Thailand and other partners in the region on climate change-related issues. An exciting new programme between the US Geological Survey and the Mekong nations to establish a network for sharing scientific data on river systems will better inform decision-making relating to the Mekong River and its associated agricultural resources.
       The US is clear in its intent to secure a strong international agreement, and I am confident that together we can meet the climate change challenge.
       Eric G John is the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand.