Plans to convene the world’s most ambitious climate leaders on December 12 – the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement – will be launched at the United Nations on Thursday, September 24, 2020,
The announcement – at the Climate Change Roundtable to be hosted by the UN Secretary-General on Thursday – comes during a watershed week for climate ambition, which has seen major announcements from China and the European Union, as well as from companies and local authorities around the world.
While the world remains off-track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, this week’s announcements send a resounding signal that decarbonisation of the global economy is increasingly irreversible and offers huge advantages to those who move decisively.
“We have champions and solutions all around us, in every city, corporation and country. But the climate emergency is fully upon us, and we have no time to waste. The answer to our existential crisis is swift, decisive, scaled up action and solidarity among nations,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
Recent data shows greenhouse gas concentrations reaching record levels, and worsening climate impacts – from unprecedented wildfires, hurricanes, air pollution, droughts and floods – destroying lives, jobs and businesses.
In light of this urgency, Guterres and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will co-host a landmark global event convening global leaders on December 12 this year to rally much greater climate action and ambition.
National governments will be invited to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans (the Nationally Determined Contributions – NDCs – and Long-Term Strategies), as well as COVID recovery plans, new finance commitments and measures to build resilience that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C and the driving forward the Sustainable Development Goals.
The event will bring leaders from across all levels of government, as well as the private sector and civil society, to present new measures boosting ambition and action.
It will demonstrate leading examples of Guterres’ six climate-positive actions to recover better together: invest in jobs and green business, no bailouts to polluting industries, ending subsidies for fossil fuels, considering climate risks in all decisions and policy-making, working together and ensuring that no one is left behind.
