UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the
upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP27) must make
broad progress, Trend
reports citing Xinhua.
“COP27 must demonstrate that the world is making progress on all
pillars of the Paris Agreement. We urgently need to address loss
and damage in a meaningful and credible way,” he said in a video
message for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) leaders’
breakfast.
Loss and damage are happening now – at 1.1 degrees of warming.
The floods in Pakistan have inundated a third of the country, he
said. “We can only imagine the fate of small islands if we go
beyond 1.5 degrees. Two degrees of warming is unthinkable and must
be avoided at all costs.”
“We need a targeted, ambitious global response, including how to
finance loss and damage, beyond our capacity to adapt,” he said.
“Polluters must pay. At the same time, we need to resolve access to
finance. Grants and concessional financing currently fail to
account for your islands’ unique vulnerabilities.”
AOSIS has long championed the highest level of ambition on
climate, often leading by example, he said. “You have also brought
solutions and built consensus. Your voices, as climate leaders,
problem-solvers and bridge-builders, are needed now more than
ever.”
The United Nations will continue to push for more ambition and
climate action by all, especially the Group of 20, which account
for 80 percent of global emissions.
It will continue to call for a renewables revolution, and for
developed countries to provide developing countries with the
finance and technology they need to transition to a net-zero and
climate-resilient future, he said.
“We will continue to push developed countries to make good on
their 100-billion-U.S. dollar climate finance commitment. We will
push for developed countries to provide clarity this year on their
Glasgow commitment to double adaptation finance. And we will push
to ensure your eligibility and access to that finance,” said
Guterres.
“You can count on the continued support of the United Nations
for your priorities, and those of all developing countries,” he
said.
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