Climate Change and Global Warming : The Role of the International Community

This paper takes stock of current knowledge about the risks climate change poses to sustainable development and discusses issues associated with managing those risks. The author argues that a central driver of climate change risk is mainstream economic (development) models which aspire to carbon-intensive industrialization. Transformation to low-carbon, climate resilient, sustainable development is an imperative to manage the risks associated with climate change. The paper examines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally by providing an assessment of the challenges and possible roles for the international community to address climate change and manage the significant risks that will increasingly affect the ability to attain sustainable development for current and future generations.