Developed
countries were called upon to honor their pledges of financial support for
developing countries in tackling climate change at the opening of the annual UN
climate change conference on Monday in Katowice, Poland.
The 24th
Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, or COP 24, is tasked with finalizing the detailed implementation
guidelines for the landmark 2015 Paris climate change agreement.
"This
meeting is the most important gathering on climate change since the Paris
agreement was signed," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, addressing the opening ceremony.
"We are in
deep trouble with climate change. ... This is already a matter of life or death,"
he said.
The Paris
agreement was signed by almost every country in the world at the 2015 Paris
conference. It took effect on Nov 4, 2016, with a target of holding the average
global temperature increase to no higher than 2 C above preindustrial levels.
"We are
still not doing enough nor moving fast enough to prevent irreversible and
catastrophic climate disruption, nor are we doing enough to capitalize on the
enormous social, economic and then environmental opportunities of climate
action," Guterres said.
He also stressed
a collective responsibility to assist the most vulnerable communities and
countries, such as small island nations and the least-developed countries, by
supporting adaptation and resilience.
"Making
clear progress to mobilize the pledge of $100 billion a year will provide a
much-needed positive political signal," he said.
Developed
countries made a pledge at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, COP 15, for $30
billion in support in a "fast-start" fund from 2010 to 2012, and an
increase in aid to $100 billion per year by 2020.
"We cannot
afford to fail in Katowice. Some might say that it will be a difficult
negotiation. I know it's not easy. It requires a firm political will for
compromise," Guterres said.
Frank
Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of COP 23, said the world
must move quickly to have any hope of curbing global warming.
"The
scientists have just told us the window of opportunity to act is closing very
fast," he said.
He added,
however, that there are other windows of opportunity to save the planet,
including new technologies that enable the world to make a transition.
"There are
many billions of dollars needed for the transition, and for making these
technologies more accessible and more affordable around the world," Bainimarama
said.
Lu Xinming,
deputy director-general of climate change at China's Ministry of Ecology and
Environment, said that parties should adhere to the principle of equity, find
common but differentiated responsibilities and acknowledge respective capabilities
in light of different national circumstances as they work out the
implementation guidelines for the Paris agreement. Mapping out the detailed
implementation guidelines for the Paris agreement as scheduled should be the
first key task of COP 24, he said.