New York Climate Summit raises momentum towards Paris deal

Wed 24 September 2014 View all news

World leaders - including 100 Heads of State - gathered in late-September for a UN Climate Summit which aimed to raise political momentum towards a universal agreement on climate in Paris in 2015. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who chaired the summit, said a comprehensive global vision on tackling climate change emerged from it.

Over 600,000 people joined demonstrations around the world - including 300,000 in New York itself - in support of Climate Week which was organised around the one-day summit.

Ban Ki-Moon said that he had asked leaders from government, business, finance and civil society to crystallize a global vision for low-carbon economic growth and to advance climate action on five fronts: cutting emissions; mobilizing money and markets; pricing carbon; strengthening resilience; and mobilizing new coalitions.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama were among Heads of State and Government who were joined by more than 800 leaders from business, finance and civil society.  

The UN's communication following the Climate Summit said that a comprehensive global vision on climate change emerged from the statements of leaders at the Summit:

  • World leaders agreed that climate change is a defining issue of our time and that bold action is needed today to reduce emissions and build resilience and that they would lead this effort.
  • Leaders acknowledged that climate action should be undertaken within the context of efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and promote sustainable development.
  • Leaders committed to limit global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.
  • Many leaders called for all countries to take national actions consistent with a less than 2 degree pathway and a number of countries committed to doing so.
  • Leaders committed to finalise a meaningful, universal new agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at COP-21, in Paris in 2015, and to arrive at the first draft of such an agreement at COP-20 in Lima, in December 2014.
  • Leaders concurred that the new agreement should be effective, durable and comprehensive and that it should balance support for mitigation and adaptation. Many underlined the importance of addressing loss and damage.
  • Many leaders affirmed their commitment to submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) for the new agreement in the first quarter of 2015.
  • Many leaders reaffirmed the objectives and principles of the UNFCCC, including the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities. In addition, others highlighted that the global effort to meet the climate challenge should reflect evolving realities and circumstances

Speaking at the Summit the UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing our world. And it is not just a threat to the environment. It is also a threat to our national security, to global security, to poverty eradication and to economic prosperity.

"And we must agree a global deal in Paris next year. We simply cannot put this off any longer."

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