Paris, Nov 30 (CTK) – Climate change is one of the worst threats the world is faced with, Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said in his speech at the U.N. climate conference in Paris today, and he confirmed Prague´s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990.
Sobotka emphasised the need to provide financial aid to the least developed countries.
It is a fundamental challenge of our time and we all must work together to secure our future and the future of our children,” Sobotka said, referring to the global warming.
All economies, both developed and developing countries, must be part of the new agreement that will hold the increase in global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, Sobotka said.
“Only such universal participation under the new agreement can bring a real change of the current growing trends in greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change,” he said.
He said these measures will require substantial financial resources, but it is an investment “in our own future.”
“This is what the Czech Republic is aware of while responsibly fulfilling its commitments under the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. Our greenhouse gas emission level was 34 percent lower in 2013 compared to the 1990 levels,” Sobotka said.
The Czech Republic is also aware of the necessity to help those in need of help, “especially to the least developed countries and most vulnerable states,” he continued, referring to The Green Climate Fund as an effective tool in this respect.
“The Czech Republic has pledged to send 5.3 million USD to this Fund and contributed another two million dollars to the German Climate Finance Readiness Programme,” Sobotka said.
He said the climate change is no longer only an environmental issue but it also “threatens our national security and economic prosperity, it has negative impacts on food security and the efforts to eradicate poverty and it is one of the causes of migration.”
At the beginning of his speech, he praised France for hosting the climate conference and not allowing itself to be discouraged by the November 13 series of terrorist attacks in Paris.
Sobotka said the attacks showed that the world has to strive for a success of the Paris climate summit, “as the global climate change may provoke conflicts and escalate tensions. This is what we have to prevent,” he added.
On arrival in Paris earlier today, Sobotka commemorated victims of Paris terrorist attacks by laying flowers at the Bataclan music club, where 90 people were killed by terrorists.
“We must not give in to evil! I commemorated the terrorist attack victims outside the Bataclan club in Paris,” he wrote on Twitter.
