Bonn, Germany. June 27, 2019. Businesses, investors, cities and regions released a call to National Governments today, laying out their expectations for the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Climate Summit to be held in September 2019 in New York City.
Released at the UNFCCC SB50 in Bonn, while G20 leaders meet in Osaka, Japan, they delivered a call to nations. Demands include, to dramatically increase ambition in order to peak emissions by 2020 and halve them by 2030; submit net-zero long-term strategies to reach carbon neutrality by 2050; adopt transformative policies in sectors such as energy and urbanization, and create new financial mechanisms to unleash the climate potential of Non-State Actors.
Businesses and investors, local and regional governments have been taking ambitious action to tackle climate change, for decades. Recognising they cannot keep global temperature rise to below 1.5ºC, the limit that scientists consider safe for humanity, alone, CEOs, investors, mayors and governors are calling on nations to play their part.
Businesses, investors, cities and regions today called on national leaders, and particularly G20 nations as the richest and biggest emitters of the world, to announce at the UNSG Climate Summit:
- More ambitious NDCs and Long-term Strategies to cut GHG emissions in the short, mid and long-term, to peak carbon emissions in 2020, reduce them by 45% globally by 2030, and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
- Transformative national policies that deliver zero carbon power, transport, built environment and land systems, while protecting vital ecosystems and communities, such as ending subsidies for fossil fuels, shifting public and private investments towards renewable energy and electrification of transport, carbon pricing, zero-emission urban policies, coal-phase out, and just transition.
- New financial instruments such as a Green Cities Development Bank that will give direct access to climate finance to cities, and a renewed multilevel climate governance system, that will support the climate ambitions of Non-State actors, unleashing their potential and enabling them to massively implement the Paris Agreement.
The G20 nations have a particular responsibility to increase their climate contributions in the short, medium and long terms.
“Mayors have been at the forefront of climate action for decades, taking ambitious decisions to reduce emissions and increase resilience in their cities, delivering on the ambition of the Paris Agreement” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Chair of C40. “We agree with the concerns of our citizens, particularly young people, who are demanding decisive action on climate change. Today, jointly with businesses, investors and regional governments, we call on National Governments to match the ambition of cities, and answer the call to action of our youth. The UN Climate Summit in New York City in September is the perfect setting for countries – especially the richest ones, the G20 – to show the leadership and ambition we need to keep global warming to 1.5 degree, and prevent catastrophic climate change.”
Signed by:
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
We Mean Business
Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
Ceres Investor Network
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI)
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments
The Climate Group, Secretariat to the Under2 Coalition