Let's join hands to save Planet Earth

The Norwegian Nobel Committee made a bold decision to expand the world's understanding of peace and security. By awarding the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize to me for my environmental work, the committee brought sustainable management of the environment to centre-stage. As I have said before, although the glory and honour have come to me, it is a recognition for all of us who work in the area of environment, democracy and peace. It is also a recognition of the efforts of countless women, especially in developing countries. I want to emphasise this because I want all of us to feel part of it and to be encouraged by it.

If the world invested more in the environment, sustainable development, good governance and equitable distribution of resources, many of the conflicts in the world would be pre-empted. The concept of peace has to be expanded to include the environment.

Today marks the end of a long process for the survival of all species on Planet Earth. It is also the beginning of an even more engaging phase when countries must act to reduce emission of dangerous gases into the atmosphere. We must remain committed and focused. The biosphere needs the Kyoto Protocol and we welcome its coming into force. Some 128 countries have ratified the Protocol, and I wish to congratulate the Japanese Government for its contribution to the Kyoto process and for the committed leadership it has and will continue to provide in the days ahead.

We hope that we can rely on the group of the most industrialised countries, the G8, to continue to prioritise climate change. This also involves addressing the issues which make it difficult for poor countries to make their contribution to this agenda. These issues include the debt burden, trade barriers and lack of financial support to make the critical economic turn. Without addressing these issues, it will be difficult to realise the Millennium Development Goals and to make poverty history.

One of the questions that comes up often in the Press is what I think about countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol yet. What I say is that we should at this time be positive and look forward. We are here to mark the coming to force of the treaty on climate change and we want to celebrate. We all know, even in those countries where the Protocol is yet to be ratified, there are millions of individual citizens and groups who subscribe to the spirit and letter of the Kyoto Protocol. Let us join them and celebrate with them.

We must remember that it is the actions of such individuals that will ensure the Protocol yields fruits. Even if all governments signed the treaty but citizens did not take action, the treaty would have no impact. It is also those same citizens who will continue to urge their governments to come along and join the rest of the world for the sake of life on our planet. They have enormous commitment and have taken personal steps to reduce over-consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases. We applaud them and urge them to continue. They are on board.

Like them, we must believe in ourselves individually and collectively and believe that we can make a difference. We must start with ourselves and continue taking those small personal steps to reduce the global rise in temperature. Together, we form a multitude and we can bring about change - locally and globally. Though there is consensus that the issue of climate change is urgent, the movement towards action is always slow.

This is because the projected negative impact on the environment is slow, away from everyday occurrence, and therefore, even disputable. It is also because many of us have become used to our lifestyle and are not easily persuaded to consume less and reduce greenhouse gases. Further, those of us who are rushing to catch up with the highly industrialised world are not willing to be persuaded to slow down.

The projected negative impact of climate change is also, unfortunately, likely to negatively impact the next generation. Researchers continue to warn that greenhouse gases are already causing gradual rise in temperatures and that sensitive habitats, water, food and fisheries are at risk. Scientists also predict that as these insecurities increase, they will cause mass movements of environmental refugees in search of water, food, grazing land and a better quality of life. Such movements would generate tension and conflict and cause mass movement of environmental refugees.

I encourage all of us to support initiatives from different groups and regions. In developing countries, we should encourage afforestation programmes, and indeed, the protection of already existing forests that would provide carbon sinks. In this connection, I wish to appeal to the international community to pay attention to the Congo Basin, the largest ecological system in Africa and the second largest in the world after the Amazon Basin. Its survival is essential for the stability of the global climate. Indeed, it is part of the global "lung".

We live on a planet whose resources are finite. The current level of consumption of its resources is unsustainable. In view of the fact that the future generations may bear the burden of our decisions today, let us apply the precautionary principle and curb the rising tide. We are the generation that can still make a difference.