WATCH: UN chief urges more ambitious climate change action

Last updated: November 16, 2017 at 13:26 pm

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on nations to go further – and to work faster – in the fight against climate change.

In his opening remarks of the High-Level Segment at the COP23 UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Guterres warned that the catastrophic effects of climate change, such as floods, fires, extreme storms and droughts, are already upon us.

Two Caribbean prime minister – Allen Chastanet from St Lucia and Roosevelt Skerrit from Dominica – also spoke during today’s speeches.

The secretary-general emphasised that more ambition is needed to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and provide financing to enable clean growth in developing countries.

Guterres urged engagement of all actors in the transformation to a low-emission economy, ranging from national, regional and local governments, to philanthropists, investors and consumers.

He also called on political leaders assembled in Bonn for the COP23 High-Level Segment to show courage, wisdom and compassion.