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"It's time to show that global cooperation is not down for the count" – Simon Stiell, UNFCCC


UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell calls for strong progress on international carbon markets, mitigation, and climate finance at COP29 – and to not let 1.5 slip out of reach.
”Now is the time to show that global cooperation is not down for the count. It's rising to this moment. So let’s rise here together”, he said.
Read his full inauguration speech below.

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The following is a transcript of the speech delieved by Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, at the opening of the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, November 11.

”Excellencies, Delegates, Colleagues,  

It is an honor to welcome you to COP29.   

I thank Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and the Emirati Presidency for their tireless work, as they pass the baton to President Babayev and Azerbaijan, who I must congratulate for the excellent facilities we find ourselves in.  

In tough times, up against difficult tasks, I don’t go in for hopes and dreams.

What inspires me is human ingenuity and determination. Our ability to get knocked down and to get up again over and over again, until we accomplish our goals.

The lady I’m standing with, in the picture, is my neighbour, Florence, in Carriacou. In July this year, this was us, standing in all that remained of her home.

At 85, Florence has become one of the millions of victims of runaway climate change this year alone.  

She was focused on one thing: Being strong for her family and for her community.  

There are people like Florence in every country on Earth. Knocked down, and getting back up again.

This UNFCCC process is the only place we have to address the rampant climate crisis, and to credibly hold each other to account to act on it.

And we know our process is working. Without it, humanity would be headed towards five degrees of global warming.

In these halls, we negotiate on specific pieces of the puzzle each year. It can feel far away from what’s happening in Florence’s living room. But we cannot afford to continue up-ending lives and livelihoods in every nation - so let’s make this real:

Do you want your grocery and energy bills to go up even more?

Do you want your country to become economically uncompetitive?

Do you really want even further global instability, costing precious life?

Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, and Noura Hamladji, UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary briefing staff ahead of COP29
Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, and Noura Hamladji, UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary briefing staff ahead of COP29


This crisis is affecting every single individual in the world in one way or another.

And I’m as frustrated as anyone that one single COP can’t deliver the full transformation that every nation needs. But if any of your answers to those questions was no, then it is here that Parties need to agree a way out of this mess.

That’s why here in Baku, we must agree a new global climate finance goal.  

If at least two thirds of the world's nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation pays a brutal price. 

If nations can’t build resilience into supply chains, the entire global economy will be brought to its knees. No country is immune.

 So, let's dispense with any idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every nation, including the largest and wealthiest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPd6qt0XPa0



But it’s not enough to just agree a goal. We must work harder to reform the global financial system. Giving countries the fiscal space they so desperately need. 

And here in Baku, we must get international carbon markets up and running, by finalizing Article 6.  

We need to move forward on mitigation, so targets from Dubai are realized.

We mustn’t let 1.5 slip out of reach. And even as temperatures rise, the implementation of our agreements must claw them back.

Clean energy and infrastructure investment will reach two trillion dollars in 2024. Almost twice that of fossil fuels.

The shift to clean-energy and climate-resilience will not be stopped. Our job is to accelerate this and make sure its huge benefits are shared by all countries and all peoples.

We must agree adaptation indicators. You can't manage what you don't measure. We need to know if we're on a pathway to increasing resilience.

And we must continue to improve the new mechanisms for financial and technical support on loss and damage. 

This year's UN Climate Conference, COP29, is held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This year's UN Climate Conference, COP29, is held in Baku, Azerbaijan.


We can’t make decisions in the dark. Biennial Transparency Reports, due this year, will give us a clearer picture of the progress we're making, and the gaps that need to be filled.

Next year, all countries will deliver their third generation of national climate plans – NDCs.   

To support countries in creating and communicating them, the UNFCCC will launch a Climate Plan Campaign.

It will mobilize action from all stakeholders, and align with the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the incoming Brazilian COP Presidency.

In parallel, we'll re-start Climate Weeks from 2025. Aligning them more closely with our process and the outcomes it must deliver. 

At the Secretariat, we will continue to work tirelessly with what we have got, while being clear on what funding we need, so we can deliver on what’s increasingly being asked of us.

In the past few years, we’ve taken some historic steps forward. We cannot leave Baku without a substantial outcome. Appreciating the importance of this moment, Parties need to act accordingly.

Show determination and ingenuity here at COP29 – We need all Parties to push for agreement right from the start - To stand and deliver.

Now is the time to show that global cooperation is not down for the count. It's rising to this moment. So let’s rise here together.

I thank you.”

  • Jane Wangui

    2 w

    It is nice seeing leaders concerned by the issue of climate change..it's gives us all hope for some change..

    1
    • ertimel ysafflow

      3 w

      The moment has come to demonstrate that international collaboration is still alive and well. Right now, it's increasing. So let's all get up here. https://bitlifesimulator.io

      1
      • walter lungayi

        3 w

        Global cooperation is essential for addressing climate change. It's encouraging to see leaders like Simon Stiell emphasizing the importance of working together on this critical issue.

        2
        • Patrick Kiash

          3 w

          A very substantial statement. A true call for MORE action. We all need to rise together, as no country or individual is immune from effects of climate crisis. Agreement must be done and that's one way of getting out of this mess... Failure to that it will be a brutal price.

          4
          • DIPANJANA MAULIK

            3 w

            A fiery speech as usual to address few burning issues. Transformation has to happen for Florence and all her co-habitats of this earth.

            1
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