jfid – King Charles III of the United Kingdom delivered a stirring speech to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In his speech, King Charles III emphasized the importance of tangible action and shared responsibility to address the escalating climate crisis.
“We all know that the Earth is not ours to own but a legacy borrowed from our descendants. We all know that we must do more and act faster to preserve this Earth to keep it healthy and prosperous. We all know that we can no longer procrastinate, for our time is running out,” said King Charles III.
Long known as an environmental activist, King Charles III called on world leaders to collaborate and commit to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, namely limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
He also reminded developed nations of their moral and legal obligations to assist developing countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. “We cannot ignore the fact that millions of lives are threatened by climate change, whether due to floods, droughts, wildfires, storms, or hunger. We cannot ignore the fact that dozens of nations are at risk of being submerged due to rising sea levels. We cannot ignore the fact that hundreds of species are endangered by the loss of habitat and biodiversity. We cannot ignore the fact that trillions of dollars are wasted due to environmental damage and natural disasters,” stated King Charles III.
King Charles III urged developed nations to fulfill their promise of providing $100 billion USD per year from 2020 to support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries.
He also called for increased ambition in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with scientific targets and sharing environmentally friendly technologies and knowledge with developing nations. “We cannot close our eyes and ears to the reality in front of us. We cannot pretend not to know what needs to be done. We cannot argue that we lack the ability or resources to take action. We cannot pass our responsibility onto future generations. We must act now, together, as one human family,” emphasized King Charles III.
King Charles III’s speech received enthusiastic applause from COP28 participants, taking place from November 30 to December 12, 2023.
COP28 is the 28th United Nations climate change conference attended by over 70,000 delegates from 197 member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
COP28 evaluates global progress in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, agreed upon at COP21 in Paris in 2015. One crucial agenda item of COP28 is finalizing the details of international cooperation mechanisms outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs carbon trading between countries.
Article 6 is expected to provide incentives for countries to increase their ambitions in emission reduction, avoiding duplication or double counting in national target achievements.
Additionally, COP28 will address other climate-related issues such as financing, adaptation, loss and damage, transparency, capacity, technology, gender, education, and non-state actions.
COP28 will also serve as a platform to launch new initiatives and sign partnerships among various stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, and local communities.
It presents an opportunity for countries to update and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are climate action plans submitted by each country to the UNFCCC. NDCs include targets, policies, and actions each country will undertake to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. NDCs must be updated every five years, with the first cycle ending in 2020.
However, according to a recent UNFCCC report, only 113 countries had submitted new or updated NDCs by July 30, 2021, covering about 49 percent of global emissions. The report also indicates that global ambitions to reduce emissions are far from sufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Therefore, COP28 is expected to encourage countries that have not submitted or enhanced their NDCs to do so promptly and take concrete steps to fulfill their commitments.
COP28 is also expected to produce a strong and historic political declaration, demonstrating global solidarity and leadership in addressing the climate crisis.
King Charles III, who has been the king since September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, expressed hope that COP28 could be a turning point in human history’s struggle against climate change. He also stated that he would continue to support and promote climate action at both national and international levels, setting an example for his people and the world.
“I believe that we have the power, intelligence, and courage to change our destiny and our planet. I believe that we have the will, wisdom, and kindness to share the burdens and benefits of climate action. I believe that we have the vision, values, and hope to create a better future for us all. I believe that we can, and we must, act now, together, as one human family,” concluded King Charles III.
