UN chief calls for commitment to climate change
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on world leaders Friday to "demonstrate a strong commitment to domestic mitigation efforts" and extend sizable support to climate change financing.
Ban was briefing reporters on the launch of the final report of the high-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF).
Created by the secretary-general in February 2010, the advisory group will seek to identify long-term financial resources for climate change.
"Funds that support mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries are an investment in a safer, cleaner, healthier future for us all," Ban said.
"This is not about charity. It is about doing the right thing for those who are suffering most from a crisis that they did least to cause," he said.
The AGF is also tasked with mobilizing delivery of the funds that were pledged at the 2009 Copenhagen Conference, which agreed to scale up support to reach 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2020 -- in addition to 30 billion dollars by 2012.
"Those funds aim to assist developing countries to bolster climate resilience, curb greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen sustainable development," Ban said.
The group's final report indicated challenges ahead of scaling up efforts to meet the 2020 goal.
"It will need sustained political will, appropriate public policy signals for the markets, and financial ingenuity," he said.
"There is no silver bullet -- no 'one size fits all' solution for raising these funds. We will need a variety of revenue sources from both public and private sectors," the secretary-general said.
The AGF comprises 21 principle members, including heads of state, ministers, private sector officials and experts on public finance and development.
The group's final report will feed into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change when its 16th Conference of the Parties takes place in Cancun, Mexico later this year.
"The Advisory Group has given us a path. It is now up to govenrnments to consider the options and to act," Ban said.
