Dennis Francis speaks at the opening of the high-level segment of the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. UN Environment Assembly: global challenges and solutions Climate and Environment
The international community must come together at a “critical moment for the planet” to overcome the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This is the call made by the UN Secretary-General and the head of the General Assembly to the participants of the session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the main global decision-making body in the field of climate and ecology.
The session takes place in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi, from February 26 to March 1. More than 70 ministers and three thousand members of country delegations take part in it.
“Necessary condition and key factor”
“To put the world on the right track and accelerate sustainable development, we must work together to tackle the current crises, recognizing the interconnectedness between them,” said UN chief Antonio Guterres. This means taking urgent action to accelerate a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, he said; adaptation to extreme weather conditions; ensuring climate justice; protection and restoration of the Earth’s ecosystem.
The Secretary General called for the creation of new funds at the country level by 2025, aimed at solving the main climate challenge, which is to limit the rise in global temperatures in within 1.5 degrees Celsius.
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“For many years, we have recognized that a healthy environment is both a prerequisite and a key factor in ensuring a safer, fairer and more prosperous future,” General Assembly President Dennis Francis said at the forum. “Yet we are far behind schedule in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the only comprehensive plan that has been designed to offer ambitious, targeted solutions to address the converging challenges of our time by 2030.”
“If the planet were a patient…”
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, spoke about the “inextricable but fragile” connection between health people, animals and the environment.
“If the planet were a patient, it would be in the intensive care unit,” he said. “So it’s not surprising that people’s health is also suffering.”
If the planet were a patient, it would be placed in the intensive care unit
More frequent and severe weather events lead to deaths and injuries, prolonged heat increases cardiovascular disease, and air pollution causes lung cancer, he said. , asthma and other diseases.
“The health threats associated with climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss are not hypothetical risks of the future,” the head of WHO emphasized. “They exist right here and now.” Health risks are the most compelling reason for urgent climate action.”