Secretary-General, at Climate-Change Art Exhibit Opening, Underlines Importance of Working towards Low-Carbon, Sustainable Future

Following is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, to the opening of the art exhibition “Towards Progress in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Climate Change Issues”, in New York, today:

I am pleased to send greetings to all participants at the opening of this informative exhibition.  I applaud its focus on the Sustainable Development Goals and the issue of climate change.

This is perfectly timed to a crucial moment for our world as negotiators meet at the Climate Change Conference in Paris.  Leaders have called for a durable, dynamic, credible and fair climate agreement.  There is growing global support for a strong, universal agreement.  Mayors, business executives, faith leaders and citizens everywhere are demanding progress.

I have called on the negotiators in Paris to adopt a transformative agreement.  This will put the world on track for long-term peace, stability and prosperity.

The SDGs are essential to realizing this vision.  They recognize the importance of tackling climate change as part of a comprehensive, global approach that aims to ensure that all people can live with dignity on a healthy, peaceful planet.

This year, we are setting plans that can help our planet and generations of people.  Next year is even more important — when we start turning pledges into reality.

The 2030 Agenda is owned by all people and applied to all countries.  It makes a commitment to leave no one behind.  Climate action is also universal, meaning that each individual can make a difference, while a broad coalition of governments, civil society, the private sector and other partners join forces to usher in a low-carbon future.

To realize these ambitious plans, we need to raise awareness.  I hope that this exhibition will inspire all those who see it to engage with even more resolve in transforming our world for the sake of people today and generations to come.