Former UN chief calls for prioritized global climate action

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (AFP FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday enjoined global communities to work together to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) and implement the legally binding international treaty on climate change.

In his speech delivered during the Senate’s Tuesday plenary session, Ban emphasized that “our walk is not over yet,” noting that progress in achieving the 17 SDGs has long stagnated.

“Indeed, climate crisis, pandemics, regional conflicts as well as economic crises disrupt human societies; our progress on achieving the 17 SDGs ahead of their 2030 target date has stagnated. In some sectors it has reversed,” he said.

He likewise noted that climate action on the road to net zero emissions by 2050 lacks the requisite urgency.

“This is why there has never been a more vital time in history to come together in cooperation, partnership, and solidarity to redouble our efforts to achieve the SDGs and implement the Paris Climate Agreement,” she pointed out

For Ban, there is a pressing need to “prioritize global action at all levels.”

Senators earlier branded Ban’s visit in the Senate as “historic.”

The last time he was in the country was in December 2013, when he visited the Super Typhoon Yolanda-hit Tacloban City.