High Representative/Vice-President of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Climate Change and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete:
The signing of the Paris Agreement in New York on Friday will be a historic event and an important step towards implementing the world’s first global climate deal.
The record number of countries expected to attend is confirmation of the shared global commitment to the promises we made just a few months ago in Paris. It is also proof that the Paris spirit is alive and well and moving forward.
Reaching a universal agreement involving 195 countries was a remarkable achievement − the result of strong international cooperation and immense diplomatic efforts that built new trust in the multilateral process.
In the run up to the Paris climate conference, the EU mobilised its network of 3,000 EU delegations and Member State embassies across the globe. This outreach to our partner countries, the general public, the business community and civil society organisations was an example of the EU at its very best: working together for the good of Europe and the whole world.
At COP21, the European Union was a strong voice for ambition. Our climate diplomacy efforts were instrumental in forming strong alliances with the group of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and in bringing both big players and smaller developing countries to join us in fighting for the highest level of ambition. This now famous High Ambition Coalition was the game changer in Paris.
And our work will continue. Paris was not the end but the beginning. Building on the successful alliances we made in the run up to and during Paris will be crucial in keeping each other on track to deliver the global clean energy transition necessary to limit global warming to well below 2°C and pursue best efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C
As global temperatures reach record levels and climate change impacts continue to threaten lives and livelihoods, collective action worldwide is needed now more than ever.
Climate change is one of the most complex and urgent foreign policy issues facing us today. Its potentially destabilising impacts − including on migration, food security, reliable access to resources, water and energy, the spread of epidemic disease and social and economic instability – make it a threat multiplier that amplifies situations of conflict.
This is why all 28 EU foreign ministers have agreed that tackling this global threat must continue to be at the heart of EU foreign policy. Addressing the direct and indirect security effects of climate change will be an important part of the new EU Global Strategy on Foreign Policy and Security to be presented to the European Council this summer.
We already have many of the tools and knowledge we need to address climate fragility risks and limit future risks to peace. We know that our partners in the G7 are also doing important work in this area to identify concrete areas for action.
But there is currently little integration between strategies on climate change, development, humanitarian aid and peace building issues. This needs to change so that climate change issues are integrated into all relevant areas, an aspect also recognised in the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
The benefits are obvious: a comprehensive planning process could avoid duplication and bolster sustainable development. National climate adaptation programmes could identify and promote the co-benefits and synergies with other areas, such as economic and social development, health, environment , and also peace.
The EU’s immediate priorities in the coming months include the early ratification and entry into force of the Paris Agreement, which will send an important signal to the world that governments are serious about tackling climate change.
At the same time we cannot afford to lose any time in putting the climate action plans we prepared in advance of Paris into practice on the ground. We will support our partners across the world as they prepare for implementation, as well as strengthen our cooperation with other actors such as businesses, cities and many others that will play a part in the collective global effort ahead.
As we get down to the hard work of delivering on the promises we made in Paris, the EU will continue to work closely with its partners across the globe to keep climate change at the top of the international agenda.
