CEB Statement on Climate Change-COP21

Climate change represents one of humanity’s greatest challenges to the peaceful, prosperous and sustainable development of society. Each year, there is increasing evidence of its adverse impacts, particularly on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations and countries. Climate change affects women and men differently requiring gender responsive climate action. No country is immune from the harmful effects of a changing climate, and no country acting alone can arrest it. Global cooperation is essential for meeting this challenge and transforming it into an opportunity for low-emissions, climate resilient growth that benefits all.

In September 2015, United Nations Member States unanimously adopted the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Putting the 2030 Agenda into practice provides the world with an unprecedented opportunity to build a better future for humanity that leaves no one behind. Addressing climate change is fully consistent with, and necessary for, achieving the SDGs. In turn, the accelerated implementation of the SDGs will be an essential vehicle for reducing global greenhouse emissions, strengthening resilience and decreasing the negative effects of climate change.
In recognition of the need to better integrate and coordinate their work on sustainable development, peace and security, human rights and humanitarian engagement to achieve these objectives, the United Nations System Chief Executives:

• Urge Parties to the UNFCCC to adopt a universal, ambitious, rights-based and gender-responsive agreement and accompanying decisions in Paris, which will put the world on an urgent pathway to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C this century;
• Commit their entities to provide strong and coherent support to Member States for developing and implementing their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) in the context of their overall efforts to pursue sustainable development;
• Continue to equally prioritize efforts to build the resilience of people, communities and countries to the adverse effects of climate change, especially the most vulnerable; and
• Explore ways to increase access to financing for these efforts, including enhancing ways to leverage private finance with available public finance, in a sustainable manner and with safeguards to protect the public interest.