Scale Up, Speed Up Solutions to Turn Sustainable Development Agendas into Action, Secretary-General Says in Video Message to Global Green Growth Summit

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the Global Green Growth Forum (3 GF) Summit, in Copenhagen, 6-7 June:

Your Excellency Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:

Last year, the world’s Governments adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.  To turn these landmark agreements into action, we need you.

The work you are catalysing and the public-private partnerships you are forging are essential for achieving green growth.  The title of your Summit puts it so well.  We need to create “solutions at speed and scale”.

The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement provide policy certainty and a clear direction of travel.  Now we must implement what has been agreed.  The national climate plans need to be financed and put into operation.  Action at the local and regional levels is also critical.  CEOs, cities and citizens must all be part of the solution.

We don’t have a moment to lose.  Arctic ice is melting quickly.  The global thermostat continues to rise.  Emissions need to peak as soon as possible if we are to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°, let alone 1.5°.

I encourage you to scale up and speed up the solutions that you will be discussing at this Summit.  The United Nations looks forward to continuing to partner with you.  Together, we can build a more prosperous, sustainable and healthy world for all.

Please accept my best wishes for a successful Summit.