Video Message
Side Event at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27):
Exploring approaches to mitigation target setting for NDC updates
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, I welcome you to this side event at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, organized by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), our DESA project office in Incheon).
With the support of the Republic of Korea, UNOSD has played a crucial role in supporting Member States in advancing sustainable development, since its establishment in 2011.
I would also like to thank the Government of the Republic of Korea for inviting UNOSD to host this event at the Korea Pavilion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today’s event is a critical opportunity for countries to support each other to raise their climate action ambitions.
So far, all 193 parties of the Paris Agreement have issued at least one Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) document.
Some parties have already updated their NDCs one or multiple times in light of fresh data, which has revived their urgency.
Yet, even now, these global commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are falling well short of what is needed to keep the world on track to achieve the 1.5°C objective.
Your discussions and exchanges at this event aim to tease out good practices and effective approaches to setting emission mitigation targets, drawing on experiences at national and sub-national levels.
As we know, setting ambitious goals on emissions reduction is the most crucial part of the climate solution, along with successful adaption. This is at the heart of the Paris agreement and the Glasgow Pact.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 6th Assessment Report of the IPCC clearly tells us that there is at least a greater than
50 percent likelihood that global warming will reach or exceed 1.5°C in the near-term, even for the very low greenhouse gas emissions scenario .
We have already observed the substantial consequences that such an increase could have on the planet, the economy and the people.
2022 bears testimony to intense extreme events. Wildfires, heatwaves, floods and droughts disrupted and endangered the lives of millions of people.
The vast majority of populations at risk of being displaced due to climate are in developing countries, and countries in special situations, such as small island developing States, who have contributed least to greenhouse gas emissions.
We have to redouble our efforts to keep the increase way below 2°C, while not giving up on the initial 1.5°C target.
This is why, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a “coalition of the world” on the climate crisis.
We need to work together to raise the ambition, take action and reach our climate goals.
There is always something we can learn from each other. I am hopeful that this event provides food for thought and fuel for action, leaving us with inspiring ideas and useful tools for doing our part for future generations.
Thank you.