More than 300 meteorologists, environmental engineers,
scientists and representatives from 26 countries or regions
Thursday appealed to people of the world to take immediate action
to mitigate impacts brought by global warming.
The delegates attending the International Conference on Climate
Change (ICCC) 2007 in Hong Kong, however, failed to send a strong
signal to G8 countries' leaders who are going to meet next week in
Germany to discuss issues like Kyoto Protocol and global
warming.
"The warming of the climate system is unequivocal," said a
tone-softer "Call for Action on Climate Change" passed by the
conference when ending here Thursday. "Rapid and continuing
progress in ...human and natural drivers of climate change has led
to very high confidence that human activities are responsible due
to increase in man-made greenhouse gas concentrations."
"Discernible human influences now extend to other aspects of
climate, including ocean warming, temperature extremes, and wind
patterns as well as many physical and biological systems," it
said.
ICCC did try to send out a message to the world by urging
members of governments, the private, scientific and professional
sectors to take immediate action to face up to climate change,
saying it is "a matter of urgency."
The ICCC "Call for Action" appealed to governments of the world
to set energy and climate policies incorporating principles of
sustainable development, and ensuring that climate change and its
management underpins all policies and to commit to targets in
energy efficiency, carbon emissions capping and reduction.
"We did hope consuls of industrialized countries will send such
messages back to their countries," Pro. Ir Otto Poon, chairperson
of the Organizing Committee of ICCC, told Xinhua. "But we are not
sure."
"Because the conference was organized by professionals, instead
of governments," he explained.
ICCC was co-organized by the Chartered Institution of Water and
Environmental Management Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Institution of
Engineers, the Institution of Civil Engineers, Hong Kong
Association and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Hong Kong
Branch.
During the three-day conference, engineering and environmental
professionals addressed over topics on climate change, including
the science of climate change and its correlation and impacts on
carbon and markets, business sector, land and water, energy and
infrastructure, buildings, and the responses and visions at global,
national and community levels.
The conference also highlighted discussions on the United
Nations' Intergovernmental Penal on Climate Change's work on the
"Fourth Assessment Report."
(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2007)
