Secretary-General, in Message, Urges Legislators at GLOBE Summit

 

to Compel Government Action by Reaching across Party Lines

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Tomas Anker Christensen, Senior Partnerships Adviser, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, to the GLOBE International Second World Summit of Legislators, in Mexico City, 6 June:

I am pleased to send greetings to the GLOBE International Second World Summit of Legislators, and commend your work to promote sustainable development.  Perhaps the greatest threat to sustainable development is climate change.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made it clear that climate disruption is happening now.  The effects are widespread and severe.  We need ambitious action at every level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience.  National legislation is an indispensable catalyst.

Governments have pledged a global climate agreement at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, but national legislators have the power and responsibility to act now, independent of any international agreement.  Many countries already have climate-specific, energy-related or forest-related legislation.  Acting now will not only help address the climate challenge, it will add momentum to global efforts to reach a meaningful agreement in 2015.

Climate change is an issue for all countries and communities.  I appeal to you to reach across party lines and compel your Governments to act, including by supporting climate-friendly business activity.  I encourage you to meet with Government ministers and climate negotiators, hold parliamentary debates and strengthen public discourse about the opportunities of a low-carbon economy.

On 23 September I am convening a climate summit at United Nations Headquarters for leaders from government, business, finance and civil society.  The goal is to add momentum to the political process towards a climate agreement and generate transformative action on the ground.  I intend to invite a representative from GLOBE to the Summit to present the resolution on climate change you will adopt at this meeting.  I count on you to empower your Governments to bring ambitious announcements to the summit.  We are looking for movement in many areas, including finance, carbon pricing, energy, short-lived climate pollutants, cities, transportation, forestry, agriculture, disaster reduction and climate resilience.

Legislators will also have a key role in ensuring that Governments can deliver on their promises by translating the provisions of a new international agreement into national law.  I count on your continued engagement to help the world avoid dangerous climate change, and thank you for your commitment to the sustainable future of all humankind.  I wish you a productive meeting.

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For information media • not an official record