
September 21 was a great day for advancing climate action at the United Nations. The day kicked off with the High-level Event on the Entry into Force of the Paris Agreement, hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the General Assembly. Ban Ki-moon declared that more than 55 countries had formally joined the Paris Agreement on climate change signed by world leaders this past April, thus officially crossing one of the two thresholds required to bring into force the landmark pact that seeks to put the world on a path towards low-carbon growth and a more sustainable future.
“There is no time to waste. Today will take us one step closer to bringing the Paris Agreement into force this year,” the UN chief stressed. With the recent announcement that India is committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement, it looks like it is increasingly a done deal.
Climate Action in the Media Zone
Following this, influential climate leaders gathered in the SDG Media Zone for a discussion on “From Paris to Marrakesh: Progress on climate change - #ParisAgreement.” Facilitated by Dan Thomas, Communications Director, and Spokesperson, Office of the President of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the discussion showed bold support for climate action.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, highlighted that the Paris Agreement was “the first time that we can see such a collective response by the international community.” In turn, Hakima El Haite, Delegate Minister in Charge of Environment, Morocco, and COP22 Host, emphasized the intimate link between taking climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals. “Come to Marrakech with answers to people that are already suffering from the impacts of climate change,” El Haite said.
#ClimateAction is sustainable development = #SDGs says @HakimaElHaite #SDGLive pic.twitter.com/v1nVMlLuWu
— Connect4Climate (@Connect4Climate) September 21, 2016
The President of COP21 and French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, praised the involvement of the private sector and non-state actors in COP21 and emphasized the need for a price on carbon. She noted that “green finance is crucial for the climate solution” and that “it is more expensive to do nothing.”
John Roome, Senior Director for Climate Change at the World Bank Group, highlighted that the next 15 years would see more investments than in all of history and the crucial question is: “How do you shape those investments so that they are low-carbon and resilient to climate change?” He also emphasized that we cannot afford to leave anybody behind, citing the World Bank’s research that shows that more than 100 million people could return to poverty if we do not take action on climate action.
We cannot meet the #SDGs or end poverty without addressing #climatechange - they are absolutely linked. #UNGA #SDGLive pic.twitter.com/VQbYoLs9CU
— John Roome (@JohnARoome) September 21, 2016