Twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20)

and the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties

serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 10)

Lima, 1 December 2014

 

Opening address by

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

 

 

H.E. Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, President of COP 20/CMP 10,

H.E. Mr. Marcin Korolec, President of COP 19/CMP 9,

Honourable representatives of the Government of Peru,

Honourable Susana Villarán, Mayor of Lima,

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

           

I am pleased to welcome you all to the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

 

I would like to first give thanks to Minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, President of COP20/CMP10.  Throughout this year, your political leadership has been decisive and has built a solid foundation for this conference.

 

And I would also like to extend my gratitude to your entire dedicated team for their tenacious dedication and tireless perseverance. This beautiful conference centre in which we will work has been carefully planned for more than a year. But never before has a conference centre been built for a COP in just six weeks. Never before has a venue been so valiantly prepared. I'm sure I speak for all participants as I express our deepest gratitude to the Government and people of Peru.

 

Our conference opens today in a land of immense natural beauty, from the high Andes to the windswept Pacific coast and to the deep forests of the Amazon. This is also a land of ancient human history, home to many cultures and many mysteries, some of which we are still working to completely understand.

 

One such mystery is the Nazca lines, lines almost indelibly etched in the arid soil of the Pampas de Jumana by the indigenous Nazca people many centuries ago. These massive glyphs, symbols of Nazca mythology, include the monkey, the hummingbird and the condor.

 

We do not fully understand the Nazca lines, yet we can be inspired by them. In fact I dare say the designs hold symbolic messages for us here at the COP.

 

The monkey, whose tail has become the symbol of Peru, is clever and resourceful, inspiring us to work creatively to achieve our goals. The hummingbird is agile and quick, inspiring us to search rapidly for new perspectives and common ground. The condor soars to great heights, inspiring us to accomplish ambitious aims.

 

Here in Lima, to aspire to great heights ourselves, we must draw several critical lines of action.

 

First, we must bring a draft of a new, universal climate change agreement to the table and clarify how national contributions will be communicated next year.

 

Second, we must consolidate progress on adaptation to achieve political parity with mitigation, given the equal urgency of both.

 

Third, we must enhance the delivery of finance, in particular to the most vulnerable.

 

Finally, we must stimulate ever-increasing action on the part of all stakeholders to scale up the scope and accelerate the solutions that move us all forward, faster.

 

With success in these areas, COP 20/CMP 10 is poised to deliver pre-2020 action, set the stage for a strong Paris agreement and increase ambition over time, ultimately fulfilling a long-term vision of climate neutrality in the pursuit of development that is truly sustainable for all.

 

Dear friends, the Lima COP must write history.  We must produce lines of action on climate change that are as indelible over time as the Nazca lines. We must emulate the hard work it took to etch these lines into the soil, embody the tenacity of those who carved them,   and create global climate and development agendas with the durability of this ancient art form.

 

2014 is likely to be the hottest year on record and emissions continue to rise. We must act with urgency. Here in Lima, may we find inspiration in the enduring Nazca lines, may we find the perspective to see our path forward and may we find the determination to meet the climate challenge.

 

Thank you.

 

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Please note: This is prepared text of the speech and may differ from the delivered version.

 

This speech is available in English and Spanish.