World Elite at Davos Embraces Global Adaptation Institute's Post-Cancun Climate Perspective

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International leaders attending the World Economic Forum in snow-covered Davos, Switzerland, are embracing the new perspective of the Global Adaptation Institute (www.globalai.org) that puts "adaptation" at the center of world climate policy.

Institute CEO, Dr. Juan Jose Daboub, former Managing Director of the World Bank, speaking to journalists at the conference said:

"Some of the world's most prominent private sector leaders have told me privately – and all conversations at Davos are private – that they are 'stunned' by the speed with which a change is taking place on the climate issue, toward adaptation, and they are rushing to re-examine how their businesses will approach climate change, both in terms of corporate social responsibility efforts and as a bottom-line, profit and loss factor for their enterprises."

"At the Institute, we predicted the new reality, then we saw it unfolding on the ground at the Cancun summit: that adaptation to climate change was about to shift to center stage.  Within the climate movement, adaptation has gone from being a 'bad word,' to being a 'side show,' to now for the first time, being placed on an equal footing with mitigation.  Suddenly, taking action to promote food security, water security, access to energy, and effective coastal protection are at the center of the climate issue, in the same space once reserved only for reducing greenhouse gases.  This is a huge shift on an issue that until recently was 'all carbon, all the time.'"

"The same transformation on the climate issue is happening at the level of governments.  In the weeks since Cancun, we have been invited to the White House to discuss climate change adaptation strategy, and the chairman of the advisory council of the Global Adaptation Institute, former President of Spain Jose Maria Aznar, has met in Brussels with leaders of the European Union and with the presidents of Chile, Colombia and Mexico.   There is no question that a shift toward adaptation is beginning.  Soon there will be meetings with leaders in Kenya and Brazil."

Kenneth Hersh, Chairman of the Board of the Institute and CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, notes that "One of the big developments we are seeing at Davos this year is that world leaders understand that the climate issue has changed.  There is a post-Kyoto, post-Copenhagen, post-Cancun reality.  The effects will start to ripple across the world economy in the form of US$150-200 billion a year in adaptation investments."

"Population growth, urbanization and economic development are critical factors that increase the relevance of climate impacts and give even greater urgency to efficient investments in adaptation, particularly in the crucial areas of food and water which are taking priority over mitigation in many circumstances."

"At the Institute, we are developing adaptation metrics, funding pilot projects, and promoting outreach.  Our ultimate goal is for adaptation to become a line item at the same level as health and education.  For that we need both the public sector and private sector to fully engage and for each to do their part."

SOURCE Global Adaptation Institute