Stop global warming to turn the tide on sea level rise: UN Assembly President
With global sea level rising faster than at any time over the last 3,000 years, UN Member States met to examine how best to address this existential threat.
The situation is critical, said UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang, who convened the high-level meeting which included a plenary session and panel discussions, with more than 100 speakers participating.
Mr. Yang said it is estimated that sea levels will rise by 20 centimetres between 2020 and 2050, and up to 1.2 billion people could be forcibly displaced.
“For those on the front lines, the impacts of rising seas threaten livelihoods, inflict damage to settlements and critical infrastructure, and can in its most dramatic manifestations force the displacement of entire island populations and coastal communities,” he said.
Halt global warming
Mr. Yang urged countries to work together to build resilience, tackle disaster vulnerability, ensure development and implementation of climate adaptation strategies, and improve coastal management practices.
“Above all, we must stop the global warming that is fuelling sea level rise by recommitting to our goal of limiting temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees,” he said.
Action and finance critical: Guterres
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for “drastic action” - both to reduce emissions to limit sea level rise and to save lives. He said everyone, everywhere must be protected by early warning systems by 2027, in line with a UN initiative.
Meanwhile, countries must deliver new climate action plans that align with the 1.5°C goal, cover all sectors of the economy, and provide a fast track to phasing out fossil fuels. G20 nations – responsible for roughly 80 per cent of global emissions – must take the lead.
“Money is indispensable. We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital,” he said, referring to the UN climate change conference in Azerbaijan in November.
The Secretary-General also called for significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund that assists developing nations, and for richer countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion annually by 2025. Furthermore, multilateral development banks must be reformed to deliver more affordable finance to developing countries.
A starting point
Former General Assembly President Dennis Francis commended UN Member States for taking decisive action on the issue of sea level rise. He said the meeting marks the starting point towards “an ambitious declaration” by the General Assembly in September 2026.
“The declaration is an opportunity to secure prosperity, dignity and rights of all affected countries and communities,” he continued. “Through the declaration, we must reaffirm that sovereignty and statehood are inalienable rights, and they are enduring and permanent, notwithstanding any circumstances of sea level rise.”
Mr. Francis called for greater support for climate adaptation in the most vulnerable communities as “climate financing is not sufficiently reaching the local level and should not saddle countries suffering from repeat disasters with more and more debt.”
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