Photo taken on
Sept. 11, 2014 shows a bird view of the Paradise Island, Maldives. (Xinhua)
UNITED NATIONS,
March 28 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on
Thursday warned that climate change jeopardizes plans for inclusive
development.
"It is
clear that climate change threatens decades of development progress and places
in jeopardy all our plans for inclusive and sustainable development," the
UN chief told the High-level Meeting on Climate and Sustainable Development for
All, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York.
"From
increased poverty and food insecurity, to growing water stress and accelerated
environmental damage, climate change is a clear and present threat," the
UN chief added.
Referring to
climate change as "the defining issue of our times," the
secretary-general warned that climate change "is happening now and to all
of us."
"Every week
brings a new example of climate-related devastation," he noted.
The UN chief
therefore called on the international community to act, show ambition and
political will in the fight against climate change.
"The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said we have less than 12 years
to avoid potentially irreversible climate disruption," said Guterres.
"I am
calling on leaders to come to New York on Sept. 23 with concrete, realistic
plans to put us, once and for all, on a sustainable path," he added.
To boost
ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate
Change, the UN chief will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit in September to
meet the climate challenge.
UN General
Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces chaired Thursday's meeting,
which was participated by some heads of government and state.
The objectives of the high-level meeting include highlighting the interlinkages between climate and economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development for present and future generations including the synergies between the climate agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.