Ban asks world leaders to secure a climate deal in Copenhagen
Warning that ''time is running out'', UN Chief Ban Ki-moon today asked world leaders including India, to seal a deal on climate change during the ongoing Copenhagen Summit.
"I appeal to all the world leaders who will join us in Copenhagen — some 115 heads of state and government — to do what this moment requires... a deal that can be embraced by all nations, large and small, rich and poor," Ban told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.
The UN Secretary General asked countries to show signs of urgency as "time is running out."
"There is no time left for posturing or blaming. Every country must do its part to seal a deal in Copenhagen. Now is the moment to act," he said just before boarding his plane to Copenhagen to attend the last leg of the 12-day climate summit.
Observing that in recent weeks there have been "new and unprecedented" political momentum to secure a comprehensive deal, he said, "Every week has brought new commitments — from industrialised countries, emerging economies and developing countries.
"In common purpose and shared resolve, governments are moving toward our common goal: to lay a foundation for a robust, fair and comprehensive agreement that can be turned into a legally binding climate treaty as early as possible in 2010," he said.
At the same time, the Secretary General noted that of late there have been efforts to derail the progress. Some have tried to claim that the science is unconfirmed. They are wrong. The science is clear and settled.
Climate change is real, we are the primary cause, and it is up to us – here and now – to deal with it."
Acknowledging that the negotiations are difficult and complex, he said: "Indeed, they are among the most ambitious ever to be undertaken by the world community. But they are necessary. Greenhouse gases continue to rise. Climate impacts are escalating. Nature does not negotiate."
In Copenhagen, Ban said, "We must summon the moral and political will to act in a spirit of compromise and common sense".
