World’s poor watch, wait as global leaders meet on climate change

• Aid group: Poor communities most affected by climate change, require adequate funds to adapt


• U.S. must take leadership to pass legislation and ensure global agreement in Copenhagen that prioritizes needs of world’s poor

New York, September 21, 2009—As the world’s leaders prepare to discuss climate change solutions this week at the UN General Assembly and G20 summit, World Vision is warning that poor communities—especially children—are immediately and most seriously impacted by climate change. As one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations working with the poor in some 100 countries, the Christian humanitarian group is calling on the United States government to take a leadership role on climate change that will help the poor adapt to the threats now facing them.

“World Vision works among millions of children and their families in poverty who struggle to survive,” said Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S. “Every year, we see how more frequent and damaging storms, deadlier cycles of flooding and drought and increased conflicts due to decreasing water and food resources are pushing many vulnerable families over the edge.”

World Vision urges the Obama administration and Congress to take leadership on climate change by passing legislation this year that would allow the U.S. to play a meaningful role at the December climate change summit in Copenhagen. The aid group is emphasizing that Congress must include adequate funding for international adaptation in any climate change legislation. Such funding should help poor communities prepare for climate-related disasters, adopt conservation farming techniques, protect water sources and more.

“President Obama and Congress need to take leadership in enacting legislation and brokering a global agreement that alleviate the impact of climate change on the world’s most impoverished countries—especially vulnerable children,” said Rory Anderson, World Vision’s deputy director for advocacy and government relations.

As the G20 leaders meet in Pittsburgh later this week, World Vision is also pressing the President and Congress to work together to address global food insecurity which has pushed the number of hungry people worldwide to nearly 1 billion over the past two years. Changes in weather patterns and more frequent disasters are already making families less secure in their food sources. Climate change is also contributing to conflicts and refugee crises as communities struggle over scarce water and food resources.

Editor’s Note: World Vision Ambassador Hugh Jackman, who is advocating for a pro-poor climate deal in Copenhagen, will speak at the opening ceremony of Climate Week NYC, taking place at 12 p.m. on Monday, September 21 at the main branch of the New York Public Library.


World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world’s poor - regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.