UN Official Urges More Ambitious, Credible Climate Action Plans
October 28, 2024
Paris, France – At the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), called on governments to submit more ambitious and credible climate action plans.
“The clock is ticking,” Espinosa warned. “We are already witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change, and we need to act now to avoid the worst consequences.”
The call for increased ambition comes as the world is facing a climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that global temperatures are on track to rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which would have catastrophic consequences for the planet.
To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, countries must submit new climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), by the end of 2023. However, many countries are currently not on track to meet their existing NDCs.
“We need to see a significant increase in ambition from all countries,” Espinosa said. “We need NDCs that are based on real science and that reflect the urgency of the situation.”
Espinosa also called on governments to make their NDCs more credible. She noted that many countries are still relying on accounting tricks to make their NDCs appear more ambitious than they actually are.
“We need to move away from these accounting loopholes and towards transparent and reliable NDCs,” Espinosa said.
The COP28 conference is a critical opportunity for governments to come together and make the necessary commitments to address the climate crisis. The conference will run from October 28 to November 12, 2024.
In addition to calling for more ambitious NDCs, Espinosa also urged governments to provide more financial support to developing countries. She noted that these countries are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and need assistance in adapting to these impacts.
“We need to ensure that the countries most in need have the resources they need to build resilience to climate change,” Espinosa said.
The COP28 conference is a crucial moment in the fight against climate change. The decisions made at this conference will have a major impact on the future of our planet.
Additional Information
- The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 countries in 2015.
- The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Countries are required to submit NDCs every five years. These NDCs outline the actions that countries will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
- The COP is the annual meeting of the countries that are party to the UNFCCC. It is a forum for negotiations on climate change issues.
UN official urges more ambitious, credible climate action plans
The AI has provided us with the news.
I’ve asked Google Gemini the following question, and here’s its response.
Climate Change a new article on 2024-10-28 12:00 titled “UN official urges more ambitious, credible climate action plans”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
3