Climate change crisis: UN Secretary General to meet Tinubu, other global leaders

From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

Speaking during a virtual press conference with selected media representatives drawn from across the globe, the Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, Selwin Charles Hart,  said the United Nations is expecting the participation of many key governments, ranging from major economies to small economies.

Hart also said the objective of the meeting was for leaders to hear from each other that climate is still a key priority and acting on climate is still in their national interest.

“They also want to hear from leaders and this is what the Secretary-General has been hearing in all of his engagements with leaders over the course of the last few months – that leaders remain committed to multilateralism and the powers agreement and that global challenges like the climate crisis, they require global solutions,” Hart said.

The Executive Director for the Caribbean region at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) further said the United  Nations was aware that countries were working on their new national climate plans and during  the meeting, the United  Nations will hear from leaders, the concreteness around the timelines, around the preparations and the submission of the climate plans.

“And we are also hoping to hear from leaders, what are some of the key milestones this year that they would work towards.

“So, it is really a moment for leaders to get together and for leaders to hear from each other that climate remains a key priority, they remain committed to multilateralism and the powers agreement and that they would continue to collaborate and work closely together to address this crisis and to support each other,” Hart also said.

While adding  that the United Nations was aware of what the geopolitical situation is, Hart however said “but the world is moving on.”

Earlier, Hart said the year 2025 is a really important year for advancing the climate agenda, being the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and it is also a year when countries are about to present their new national climate  plans.

The senior UN official also noted two really important threats in the area of climate change, an acceleration of climate-related disasters around the world which no country, nor region has been spared.

He recalled the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) recent State of the Global Climate report which he said, should be alarming as all indicators are on the severity of the climate crisis which are flashing red as the sea level rise, temperature rise, displacements have been recorded and the situation is heating the poor the hardest and driving not only displacement, but also conflict and instability, water and food insecurity.