UN: Countries must put aside national interests, priotise common good to tackle climate crisis

Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has called on countries to put aside their national interests and prioritise global common good.

Stiell spoke at the opening plenary of the Bonn Climate Change Conference on Monday.

The Bonn conference is a preparatory meeting intended to lay the technical groundwork for the COP28 summit that starts in November.

The executive secretary made reference to the recent reports by scientists, adding that there is a need to speed up action to tackle climate change.

Stiell said the world is at a “tipping point” in the climate crisis, while urging nations to put aside their differences and make brave decisions to limit global warming.

“The latest reports of the WMO and IPCC make clear that climate change is accelerating, and we are lagging behind in our actions to stem it,” he said.

“I’m aware of the difficulty you face, wearing two hats at these sessions. There is, at times, tension between national interest and the global common good.

“I urge delegates to be brave, to see that by prioritising the common good, you also serve your national interests and act accordingly.

“As you deliberate, keep in mind this basic premise: No life is expendable. Not expendable because national budgets are already constrained elsewhere. Not expendable because we want to consume ever more energy than our needs.

“Not expendable because fossil fuel extraction is a financial and political insurance policy. Not expendable because nature is easily commoditised.

“We have a clear ambition: to pursue limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and deliver a resilient sustainable future for all. We must make progress against all areas. This will set the frame for COP28.”