Friday 24 February 2023

Ban Ki-Moon slams delay on climate finance

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is calling for developed nations to deliver the promised climate finance much quicker.

“We need to see a massive acceleration in mobilising trillions of dollars needed to keep the world from climate collapse,” he stated.

A report from the UN revealed that the climate finance needed to mitigate climate change is up to 10 times what is currently being delivered.

During his time as Secretary-General, a promise was made in 2009 at COP15 for wealthier countries to provide $100 billion (£83.5bn) in climate finance every year for developing countries by 2020.

On this, Ban said: “After 14 years, nothing has been happening. The most critical crisis is climate change, which is happening so much faster than one might think. We have no time to lose.”

He explained it is a “moral responsibility” of political leaders to lead by example on climate change and provide the finances needed to overcome it.

“As we move towards COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, our efforts in climate mitigation and adaptation must accelerate,” he added.

Ban also raised the point that smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia produce 80% of the world’s food but only receive 1.7% of climate finance – labelling this a pure “injustice.”

Concluding on his views on climate change, he stated: “Many people regard me as a gentle and soft person but when it comes to climate I become much more passionate and sometimes angry.

“I refrained from expressing my anger as Secretary-General. But now I am a retired person. I was really angry at Trump, when he was president, withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement.”