Climate Leaders Pledge to Accelerate Climate Action
Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders Pledge to Accelerate
Climate
Action
Brisbane, June
4, 2019: As climate change continues to make
headlines globally, an ambitious group of leaders from
Asia-Pacific nations, states, regions, territories and
cities gathered in Brisbane today and committed to ramping
up efforts on climate action.
At the Asia-Pacific Climate Leadership Forum organized by The Climate Group, an international non-profit with the mission of accelerating climate action, an Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders’ Declaration was launched and nine governments pledged their support. In doing so, they committed to tackling key challenges such as protecting marine life, cutting emissions from the land sector and strengthening international cooperation and dialogue on climate action, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The endorsing governments
also called on other state, regional, city and national
governments in the Asia-Pacific region to join them in
signing this declaration to help strengthen international
efforts in tackling climate change.
Tim Ash Vie,
Director of the Under2 Coalition of States and Regions, The
Climate Group, said:
“As we enter this decade of climate action, we want to drive greater commitment from governments and businesses to deliver action at the scale and speed we need.
“Right now, international collaboration is vital in building momentum towards this goal. As we approach global climate events such as the UN Climate Action Summit in September, we have to see increased ambition from global governments.”
2019 is a particularly important year for climate action as national governments evaluate how to increase the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. In this context, the Asia-Pacific Climate Leadership Forum is particularly timely, giving these key players from across the region an international platform to showcase their action.
Leeanne Enoch, Minister for the
Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
Government, said:
“It is important that
Queensland and other subnational governments have a forum to
come together and speak about our collective desire to
combat climate change. These conversations are happening all
over the world, and our region should be part of
them.
“In Queensland we know that climate change will deliver environmental challenges, including more extreme weather. However, it will also deliver us some great economic opportunities.
“I am pleased that the subnational governments here in Brisbane for Queensland’s first ever Climate Week and have taken the opportunity to engage in this important set of meetings.”
During the event, states, territories and regions, as well as the Pacific Island nations also discussed how they can collaborate to limit global warming, exchanging experiences and ideas, while showcasing their commitments.
The Asia-Pacific Climate Leadership Forum took place at the beginning of Climate Week QLD 2019, during which Al Gore will facilitate climate leadership training from 5 – 7 June 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland.
As the Secretariat to
the Under2 Coalition of global states and regions committed
to climate action, The Climate Group is proud of its
long-standing relationship with the Asia-Pacific members of
the Under2 Coalition. The Under2 Coalition is driven by a
group of ambitious state and regional governments, who are
committed to keeping global temperature rises to well below
2°C and pursuing efforts towards 1.5°C. It brings together
more than 220 governments who represent over 1.3 billion
people and 43% of the global economy.
- ENDS
-
Asia-Pacific
Climate Leadership Forum
Attendees
• Australian
Capital Territory, Australia
• Chhattisgarh,
India
• City of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
• City
of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• City of Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia
• Gujarat, India
• New
South Wales, Australia
• North Kalimantan,
Indonesia
• Northern Territory, Australia
• Papua
New Guinea
• Queensland, Australia
• Queensland,
Australia
• Independent State of Samoa
• South
Australia, Australia
• Tasmania,
Australia
• Torres Strait Island Regional Council,
Australia
• Torres Strait Regional Authority,
Australia
• Victoria, Australia
• West Papua,
Indonesia
Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders’
Declaration
Signatories
• Chhattisgarh,
India
• City of Melbourne, Australia
• City of
Sydney, Australia
• North Kalimantan, Indonesia
• Queensland, Australia
• Independent State of
Samoa
• South Australia, Australia
• West
Kalimantan, Indonesia
• West Papua,
Indonesia