Abuja – The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Tuesday said it supported the G7 leaders’ declaration made at the just concluded summit held at Schloss Elmau, Germany to address climate change.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UNEP, Mr Achim Steiner, said this in a statement issued from UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.
Steiner was quoted as saying that the organisation also welcomed other declarations made to address the global economy.
“The UNEP welcomes the G7 leaders’ agreement that decarbonising the global economy over the course of this century is required to mitigate climate change.
“UNEP also welcomes other G7 environmental commitments in the declaration.
“It welcomes commitments including among others their reaffirmation of a 2009 pledge to raise US $100 billion in annual climate financing from public and private sources.
“It also supports decisions on the post-2015 sustainable development goals, resource efficiency, marine litter, and accelerating the deployment of renewable energy in Africa.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“UNEP stands ready to contribute to these initiatives,’’ he said.
According to him, this declaration is a significant stepping stone toward a future of 100 per cent renewable energy.
He said that the world was indeed capable of achieving a low-carbon; resource-efficient economy, but still more must be done.
“We encourage all countries to recognise the need for ambitious national commitments for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction pathways in the run-up to this year’s Paris Climate Conference.
“Industrialised countries – like the G7 – have the capability to play a leading role in establishing forward-looking national mitigation contributions.
“With their leadership, we can achieve an agreement in Paris this year that will enable the world to combat climate change effectively,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari attended the 2-day G7summit in Germany.
NAN also reports that other issues addressed at the G7 summit included crisis in Ukraine, the Greek economy and global security threats. (NAN)
