Cost of Delaying Action on Climate Change Could Be ‘Deadly’, Secretary-General Stresses at High-Level Event

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Janos Pasztor, Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change, to the high-level side event on climate change and security, in New York today:

I am pleased to send greetings to this timely and important event, and I thank the Governments of France and Germany for organizing it.

Much has changed since the first Security Council debate on climate change in 2007.  On the one hand, climate change continues to accelerate dangerously.  On the other, we have a better understanding of the links between climate change and international peace and security.

Extreme weather events continue to grow more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike.  They can provoke humanitarian crises, including massive population movements.  Today we are witnessing the largest migration crisis in Europe since the Second World War.  Imagine the challenge that awaits us in the future, when millions of people living in places progressively ravaged by climate change seek safety and a better life.

Climate change is a threat multiplier.  It not only threatens to exacerbate conflicts within and between States, it is itself a threat to international peace and security.  From Syria to the Sahel and beyond, millions of people face increasing water shortages, undermining the foundations of local, national and regional stability.

Scientists have long sounded the alarm about climate change.  Top-ranking military commanders and security experts have joined the chorus.  To date, however, our collective political response has lagged far behind.

We know what we have to do to address climate change.  We need a robust global agreement in Paris that commits all countries to curbing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening resilience in accordance with nationally determined targets.

An agreement in Paris must be a turning point in mobilizing climate action at the scale we need by Governments and all sectors of society — including the business and finance sectors, cities, civil society, young people and communities of faith.  Pope Francis is one of several faith leaders reminding us of the moral dimensions of addressing climate change.  This is especially true for the poor, the vulnerable and future generations.

The benefits of acting now are multiple:  for reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development, mitigating risks and strengthening prospects for peace and stability.  If we fail to deliver on climate change, we will not only face insurmountable challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we risk rolling back decades of development efforts, with potentially grave security implications.  On the other hand, success in Paris in December will greatly advance prospects for a sustainable future and a life of dignity and security for all.

We have the knowledge and tools to stave off the worst impacts of climate change.  The costs of delay could be deadly.  We must harness the political will to meet the climate challenge.

I count on your leadership and wish you a productive discussion.