The opening for signature of the Paris Climate Change Agreement at the UN.
On 22 April 2016, a day-long celebration will mark the opening for signature of the Paris Climate Change Agreement at the United Nations headquarters in New York. More than 160 countries have expressed their intention to sign the agreement, designed to put the world on course for strong and decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions rapidly and help all nations build a truly sustainable future for their citizens
On April 21, ahead of the signing, the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mogens Lykketoft will convene a High Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This event will serve to significantly increase international awareness and political momentum around the implementation of the SDGs.
“The SDGs and Paris Climate Agreement have the potential to be a new start for our planet and its peoples,” said GEF CEO, Naoko Ishii. “In my view, the most important message from the SDGs and the Climate Agreement is that there is now a clear recognition that the health of our planet, from the climate system, biodiversity, health of soil, water, oceans, and chemicals, is essential for sustainable development.”
“For so long, we have taken those global environmental commons for granted, and pushed them to their limit. Now is the time to change course,” Ishii said.
Last year’s historic agreement in Paris should unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future.
The agreement also aims to strengthen the ability to deal with the impacts of climate change, including the provision of finance to the most vulnerable countries.
During COP21 in Paris, the LDCF, the GEF-hosted climate fund for the most vulnerable countries, received over $250 USD million in new financing. The GEF, including through its main trust fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), along with the GCF, will serve the Paris Agreement.
Action on climate change is essential for achieving the SDGs and creating a more prosperous, equitable and liveable future.
Healthy and well-managed ecosystems, together with a stable climate, are critical for the prospects of long-term sustainable development.
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