Two days to the end of Cop 23. “Let the voice of small nations be that of the entire world”
Environment — di Andrea Barolini
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued an appeal two days before the end of Cop 23 in Bonn.
Two days to the end of Cop 23. “Let the voice of small nations be that of the entire world”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued an appeal two days before the end of Cop 23 in Bonn.
"I feel the weight of history, as prime minister of a small island nation and president of a United Nations conference on climate." Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of the Fiji Islands, took the floor two days before the end of Cop 23 in Bonn, opening the "joint high-level segment" that will need to complete the two weeks of negotiations. His words were echoed by the statements of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.
"Je ressens aujourd'hui le sens de l'Histoire en tant que premier ministre d'un petit État insulaire et président d'une conférence de l'@ONU_fr sur le #ChangementClimatique a déclaré @FijiPM Pdt de la @COP23
António Guterres at Cop 23: "Disastrous effects already upon us. Let's aim for resilience"
"The disastrous effects of climate change," he explained, "are already bearing down on us. The voice of island states, which are on the front line of the struggle, must be the voice of the entire world. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential, but climate disruption is already a reality and will worsen over time: that is why it is also necessary to launch adaptation policies and strengthen our resilience."
The head of the United Nations added that in his view "the world should adopt a simple rule: if major infrastructure projects are not environmentally friendly, they should not be approved. Otherwise, we will be condemned for decades to being prisoners of wrong choices."