President Pahor delivers Slovenia's National statement at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt

Ljubljana, 24. 11. 2022 | press release, speech

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, is attending the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. President Pahor is representing Slovenia in the high-level segment attended by numerous world leaders at the invitation of the host country.

Today, President Pahor participated in the first part of the high-level segment of COP27 and delivered the national statement.

The fundamental purpose of COP27 is to encourage State Parties to confirm their commitments regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, thus limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement. The conference discusses the climate change adaptation and commitments to rise climate financing, especially for the most vulnerable countries.

Photo: UPRS

National statement by President Pahor in English (Spoken word applies.):

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I could not wish for a better platform from which to address the world for the very last time in the role of the President of the Republic of Slovenia. Climate breakdown is the existential issue of our times, both globally and locally. Personally, I am deeply committed to protecting our environment. With my own Standing Committee for Climate Policy, all excellent experts on their field, I regularly recommend adoption of concrete measures to the Slovenian Government. I express my sincere gratitude to Egypt for its hospitality, and for its tireless efforts to make COP27 a success.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Decade we live in, is the critical one for stepping up climate action. Full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact are our way forward in staying on track with the 1.5ºC goal. We are experiencing combined energy and food insecurity also due to the Russian war against Ukraine. This, however, should not to come at the expense of our ambitious climate action. On the contrary, we should use the current energy crises as an opportunity for out-of-the-box solutions for mitigating climate change. I reiterate Slovenia's ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. We are preparing our first national climate law, which will further promote meeting this target.

At the same time, we are well aware of the great diversity of needs and vulnerabilities of developing countries and communities. We therefore wish for substantial progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation. We support efforts to find solutions for funding arrangements for loss and damage. We also support the call of the UN Secretary General to expand early warning coverage throughout the world.

Excellencies,

Climate breakdown is increasingly a factor in instability, violence and war. As a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council 2024-25, Slovenia aims for integrating climate action into prevention, peacebuilding and peace-making. We are committed to solidarity. This year, we doubled our climate finance through multilateral channels, in support, for the least developed states and small island developing states.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Climate breakdown is happening here and now. We shall either stand together or fall together. We only have this one Mother Earth. Our generation has the possibility and duty to act and leave the planet in a better shape for our young people. Again, failure is not an option.

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