Leaders Commit to Action During 2014 UN Climate Summit

On September 23, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened a Climate Summit in New York City. More than 162 government representatives attended the conference, including 126 heads of state and government, making it the largest international climate change meeting since the Copenhagen Summit of 2009. Although the one-day summit was not an official international negotiation conference, it aimed to advance the development of an international agreement to combat climate change before the UN Climate Change Conference of 2015 in Paris, France. During the opening ceremony, Ban Ki-moon stated, “Climate change threatens hard-won peace, prosperity and opportunity for billions of people. Today, we must set the world on a new course.”

During the morning session, all of the top state officials – the Prime Ministers, Presidents and Vice Premiers – made 4-minute speeches on the threats their countries are facing from climate change, and the current and future actions they will take to help their countries reduce and adapt to climate change. U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, both representing the world’s two largest carbon-emitting countries, gave two of the most highly anticipated speeches of the event.

During his presentation, President Obama highlighted the work the United States is doing internationally and domestically on climate change. “We’re partnering with African entrepreneurs to launch clean energy projects. We’re helping farmers practice climate-smart agriculture and plant more durable crops. We’re building international coalitions to drive action, from reducing methane emissions from pipelines to launching a free trade agreement for environmental goods. And we have been working shoulder-to-shoulder with many of you to make the Green Climate Fund a reality,” said Obama. “Yes, this is hard, but there should be no question that the United States of America is stepping up to the plate.” Obama also underlined the leadership responsibility that the United States and China jointly bear as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters. In his speech, President Obama issued a new Executive Order directing federal agencies to consider climate change in international investments and development programs, and announced a new initiative to deploy technology such as early warning systems internationally to help vulnerable countries prepare for climate threats.

For more on U.S. climate actions announced at the Summit, click here.

Vice Premier Zhang discussed China’s commitment to tackling climate change domestically and building consensus for a global agreement on climate change. Zhang said, “As a responsible major developing country, China will make an even greater effort to address climate change and take on international responsibilities that are commensurate with our national conditions.” He announced that China will hold steady on its recently adopted national plan to cut its carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and will double its annual support for the South-South Cooperation on climate change. Zhang also emphasized that China wants to work within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, with “common but differentiated responsibilities” for countries in the final international agreement. Both countries suggested they would announce additional climate commitments before the Paris 2015 UN conference.

Other countries also made significant commitments and announcements during the Summit. Among the notable commitments were the large contributions promised to the Green Climate Fund, launched in 2010 as a vehicle for developed countries to help fund climate change adaptation measures in developing countries. François Hollande, the president of France, promised $1 billion to the Green Climate Fund. Many countries made smaller pledges – South Korea $100 million, Mexico $10 million, Switzerland $100 million, Denmark $70 million, Norway $33 million, Luxembourg $6.4 million, and the Czech Republic $5.5 million – for a combined total of $1.325 billion. Hollande told reporters, “We can’t just limit ourselves to words, expressions of regret and exercises in stock-taking.”

Other accomplishments include:

• The European Union pledged 14 billion euros in climate grants over the next seven years to countries outside the Union, and 3 billion euros to support sustainable energy in developing nations, which it hopes will leverage another 50 billion euros in private finance.
• The European Union also said it will cut greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 to 95 percent by 2050, below 1990 levels.
• Forty companies, dozens of NGOs, several governments and indigenous peoples took a pledge to halve deforestation by 2020 and end it by 2030.
• The World Bank said 73 national governments, 11 regional governments and more than 1,000 businesses and investors voiced support for a global price on carbon.
• Commercial banks promised to offer $30 billion in Green Bonds.
• Large banks, pension funds, and insurance companies promise to channel $200 billion toward climate initiatives.
• Two hundred mayors, representing 400 million people, signed a Mayor’s Compact to reduce annual emissions 12.4 to 16.4 percent.

According to UN officials, countries need to release concrete plans with specific actions to cut carbon pollution before April 1, 2015, in order to reach a global deal by the end of the year in Paris. The 2014 Climate Summit is only a milestone along the path toward a global agreement. Countries are expected to make many more commitments and deals before the anticipated climate deal is crafted in December 2015.

 

Authors: Yi Xu and Laura Small

 

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