Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) | (Photo: UN Climate Change - Kamran Guliyev)
Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says G20 leaders must signal clearly that international cooperation is humanity’s only chance of addressing climate change.
He spoke in a statement on Saturday ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit billed for November 18 to 19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
G20 is a group of twenty countries representing the world’s largest economies. Members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan.
Others are Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.
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The UNFCCC executive secretary said G20 members must make global climate crisis a priority at the summit, as the world is watching and expecting a strong signal on climate action.
“As G20 Leaders head to Rio de Janeiro, the world is watching and expecting strong signals that climate action is core business for the world’s biggest economies,” the statement reads.
He emphasised the need for global climate finance flow from the conference of parties (COP) and outside the process.
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Stiell asked leaders to ensure that progress is made to relieve developing countries of their debt burden by making climate financing grant-based and concessional.
“Next week’s summit must send crystal clear global signals. That further reform of multilateral development banks is a top priority, and G20 governments — as their shareholders and taskmasters — will keep pushing for more reforms,” he added.
“Finally, in turbulent times and a fracturing world, G20 leaders must signal loud and clear that international cooperation is still the best and only chance humanity has to survive global heating.
“There is no other way.”
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