September 23, 2014
On September 23, 2014, the UN will hold the Climate Summit at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event will help Member States prepare for the UNFCCC climate negotiations due to take place in Paris in December 2015, where they will seek to reach an international agreement on climate change.
The Climate Summit Programme
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the highest officiating international body for determining science that relates to climate change and the warming of the planet, concluded that there is no doubt that the planet’s climate is warming. The IPCC stated that humans are one of the top contributors to climate change, and that we must continuously work to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintain those reductions in order to battle climate change. For more information on the IPCC’s latest finding please click here.
Based on these findings, the UN’s Climate Summit – called into place by the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon- will be divided into four sections to ensure the efficiency of deliberations of Member Nations during the Summit: The Plenary, Action Platforms, Thematic Sessions and an Outreach and Engagement Platform.
The Plenary
The Plenary will allow heads of state and government representatives to make announcements and bring progressive ideas to the table on climate change action at their domestic levels, respectively.
Action Platforms
The Action Platforms will allow leaders of the public, private, and NGO sectors to provide information on actions they are willing to take, and actions that should be taken by all.
Thematic Sessions
The Thematic Sessions will allow for the intermingling of policies and practices around the world.
Outreach and Engagement Platform
The Outreach and Engagement Platform is being established to make sure that actions are actually taken after the Summit.
UN Stresses New Initiatives
Although the UN will continue to highlight the need for entrepreneurial solutions and larger initiatives that are being used in cities , the UN will also be looking at new initiatives that have a even larger impact, such as new carbon emission reductions and carbon credits. Efforts need to be done at all levels since “effectively addressing climate change requires action from all levels of society and from every sector, with efforts that are both small and large”, said Christina Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Questions to the Reader
- How can we all contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions individually?
- Do you think the UN is doing a good job at working on Climate Change?
- What measures would you implement to lower our greenhouse gas emissions and help lower pollution rates?
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