Human Development Report 2007/2008 - Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World

Delivered in a sermon on social justice four decades ago, Martin Luther King's words retain a powerful resonance. At the start of the 21st Century, we too are confronted with the “fierce urgency” of a crisis that links today and tomorrow. That crisis is climate change. It is still a preventable crisis—but only just. The world has less than a decade to change course. No issue merits more urgent attention—or more immediate action. Climate change is the defining human development issue of our generation. All development is ultimately about expanding human potential and enlarging human freedom. It is about people developing the capabilities that empower them to make choices and to lead lives that they value.

If the world acts now it will be possible—just possible—to keep 21st Century global temperature increases within a 2°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. Achieving this future will require a high level of leadership and unparalleled international cooperation.