Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Incheon (Republic of Korea)
11 August 2009
Remarks to the Global Environment Forum
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It should make itself a model of international engagement on climate change. Climate change, as all previous speakers have already stated, is the fundamental threat to humankind.
It exacerbates all of the problems we face: poverty, disease, hunger and insecurity. It impedes progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. It deepens the food and energy crises.
That is the harsh reality.
But there is an upside: if we combat climate change with a sustainable, low-emissions approach, just like we see around us in Songdo, we can change the way countries develop.
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We can fight hunger and poverty while protecting the environment.
The downside is equally dramatic.
If we fail to act, climate change will intensify droughts, floods and other natural disasters.
Water shortages will affect hundreds of millions of people. Malnutrition will engulf large parts of the developing world. Tensions will worsen. Social unrest – even violence – could follow.
The damage to national economies will be enormous. The human suffering will be incalculable.
We have the power to change course. But we must do it now.
As we move toward Copenhagen in December, we must “Seal a Deal” on climate change that secures our common future. I'm glad that the Chairman of the forum and many other speakers have used my campaign slogan “Seal the Deal” in Copenhagen. I won't charge them loyalty.
Please use this “Seal the Deal” as widely as possible, as much as you can. We must seal the deal in Copenhagen for the future of humanity.
We have just four months. Four months to secure the future of our planet.
Any agreement must be fair, effective, equitable and comprehensive, and based on science. And it must help vulnerable nations adapt to climate change.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The science is clear. We know what to do and we know how to do it. Songdo shows us the way.
What is needed is the political will. We have the capacity. We have finance. We have the technology. The largest lacking is political will. That is why I will convey some meetings focused on climate change. I have invited all the leaders of the world including President Lee.
Two years ago, only a handful of world leaders could talk about climate change.
Today, leaders of all the world, all the countries on every continent are aware of the threats we face now.
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When the leaders of the G-8 agreed in July to keep the global temperature increase within two degrees centigrade by the year 2050, that was welcomed and I welcome that statement.
But I also said again, it was not enough.
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There are four points [of] very important key political issues.
First industrialized countries must lead by committing to binding mid-term reduction targets on the order of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels.
Unfortunately, the mid-term emission targets announced so far are not close enough to this range. This must change. That is why I am urging at this time, that the Korean government should take more ambitious targets.
Second, developing countries need to take nationally appropriate mitigation actions in order to reduce the growth in their emissions substantially below business as usual.
Their actions must be measurable, reportable and verifiable.
Third, developed countries must provide sufficient, measurable, reportable and verifiable financial and technological support to developing countries.
This will allow developing countries to pursue their mitigation efforts as part of their sustainable green growth strategies and to adapt to accelerating climate impacts.
Significant resources will be needed from both public and private sources.
Developing countries, especially the most vulnerable, will collectively need billions of dollars in public financing for adaptation.
I am talking here about new money – not re-packaged Official Development Assistance. This is one of the most important issues which we are going to discuss on September 22nd in New York, and this year again at the G20 Summit Meeting in Pittsburgh on September 24th.
Fourth, we need an equitable and accountable mechanism for distributing these financial and technological resources, taking into account the views of all countries in decision-making.
Accomplishing all of this requires tough decisions. It will take flexibility and hard work to negotiate the most difficult issues.
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The city of Incheon has a remarkable history.
Here, in 1950, the Korean war came to a famous turning point, following a daring landing by UN forces.
Against all the odds, the operation succeeded. Courage and leadership turned the tide.
Today, we need to turn a different tide – the tide of climate change. We need bold “outside of the box” thinking.
UN
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