Climate Change has a disproportionate impact on the poorest countries, who have contributed the least to the problem. Africa, for instance, accounts for less than 3 percent of global emissions, yet its 850 million inhabitants face some of the biggest challenges from drought and disrupted water supplies. Moreover, poor countries lack the basic infrastructure and financial means to respond adequately to these challenges. Decades of development gains are under threat due to climate change.

For the majority of the world's population and most developing countries, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the eradication of poverty remain their highest priority. The impacts of climate change threaten the achievement of the MDGs, but also create opportunities for further efforts to achieve these development imperatives. The Millennium Development Goals represent an essential step in tackling the climate change challenge in developing countries. MDG 7 is precisely about linking environmental protection to poverty reduction through sustainable development.

Children and Youth all over Ghana will participate in the campaign with a clear message to leaders “We Can’t Wait; Stand Up, Take Action, End Climate Change and Poverty Now.’ The campaign will call on Ghanaians and the world to stand up for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and take actions that send clear and powerful message to governments and leadership; Keep your promises to end poverty and achieve the MDGs.

As the leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) countries gathered in Hokkaido, Japan, today for their summit meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his call for urgent action to tackle three key challenges the world is currently grappling with.

Efforts to address the food crisis, climate change and the slow progress towards reaching the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their target date of 2015 “so far have been too divided, too sporadic, and too little,” Mr. Ban told a joint news conference with World Bank President Robert Zoellick.

GCAP Korea representative, Hykungung Kim was one of a group of international NGOs to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda in Tokyo on Wednesday June 18th. She also tied a white and, the symbol of the campaign, around the wrist of the Prime Minister who stood for a photograph beside the campaign symbol, a Tanabata bamboo tree.

Representing the massive GCAP anti-poverty alliance, Hykungung explained to the Prime Minister how last year we mobilized over 1.2 million Voices Against Poverty which were presented to Chancellor Merkel just prior to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm.