UN News 30th April 2018
The latest round of United Nations climate change negotiations began on Monday in Bonn, Germany, to further develop the “operating manual” for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to keep temperature rises this century, well below 2 degrees Celsius.
“We are witnessing the severe impacts of climate change throughout the world”, said the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, at a press conference.
“Every credible scientific source is telling us that these impacts will only get worse if we do not address climate change and it also tells us that our window of time for addressing it is closing very soon,” she added.
“We need to dramatically increase our ambitions,” stressed the UNFCCC chief, outlining three priorities.
First, all stakeholders - including governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, investors and citizens – must accelerate climate action by 2020.
Second, she said, the international community must complete the Paris Agreement guidelines, or operating manual, to unleash the potential of the accord.