New York, Sep 22 2009 10:10AM
With the clock ticking towards this December's climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today pressed world leaders gathered at the United Nations to speed up their action on global warming and preserve the planet for future generations.
Today's summit at UN Headquarters in New York is the largest ever on climate change, with more than 100 heads of State and government in attendance.
It takes place just under 80 days before the start of the Copenhagen conference, where nations are aiming to wrap up negotiations on an ambitious new agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions that would go into effect in 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires.
But Mr. Ban, who visited the Arctic ice rim earlier this month and saw first-hand the rapid impact of climate change, today expressed regret over the "glacial" speed of negotiations and urged leaders to take "the long view" to meet their people's needs.
"Climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st century," he stressed. "It rewrites the global equation for development, peace and security."
The Secretary-General countered claims that addressing global warming comes at too high a price tag.
"They are wrong," he said. "The opposite is true. We will pay an unacceptable price if we do not act now."
He urged developed nations to take the first steps forward, with developing nations also needing to make strides. "All countries must do more – now."
Success in Copenhagen will require all nations working in concert to limit global temperature rise, as well as boost the world's ability to cope with changes set in motion by climate change.
Any deal reached in the Danish capital must "provide comprehensive support to the most vulnerable" who have contributed least to the crisis but are suffering the most, Mr. Ban underscored.
Adaptation, he said, is both a moral obligation and a political imperative. "It is a smart measure in a more secure future."
Financing is also a crucial component, as well as the establishment of an equitable global governance structure addressing developing countries' needs.
Not 'sealing the deal' in Copenhagen would be "morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise," the Secretary-General said.
A new climate pact has the potential to help 'green' global economic growth and lift billions out of poverty, as well as boosting cooperation on trade, energy, security and health issues, he added.
The past year's multiple crises – financial, economic and food, among others – has proven that "our fates are intertwined," Mr. Ban stressed.
The day-long event opened with the recitation of a portion of late astronomer Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot by actor Djimon Hounsou, followed by a film both written and narrated by children from around the world.
United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are among the world leaders who will address the opening session of today's gathering.
It will also feature a UN Leadership Forum Luncheon – to be addressed by former US Vice-President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore – which will mark the first time that global political leaders, as well as top business and civil society officials, will meet on such a large scale at the UN.
While not a negotiating session, the summit will allow world leaders to engage in direct discussions in small round-table discussions, each co-chaired by a leader from a developing and developed country, with the aim of finding a common understanding on a path forward.
At the end of the day-long event, this understanding will be captured in a summary presented by the Secretary-General.
Meanwhile, World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/">WFP) Executive Director Josette Sheeran echoed Mr. Ban's call by challenging world leaders to focus on the human dimension of climate change.
"Every day we at WFP see the effects of the ravages of weather-related hunger on the people we assist," she said in a <"http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/statement-wfp-executive-director-josette-sheeran-climate-change">statement issued today. "Every day we see people suffer from droughts and floods. Every year the situation gets worse."
Ms. Sheeran underlined that climate change is a "crisis multiplier" – adding to the negative impact of the existing food and financial crises.
Sep 22 2009 10:10AM
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