Federal Environment Minister Gabriel welcomes announcement made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has welcomed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's keynote address on climate policy as a necessary and groundbreaking statement. In his speech on the occasion of the opening of the high-level segment of the 15th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York, Ban described climate protection as the "most important task of our generation" and called upon the international community to take resolute and effective action.
"For the first time, a Secretary-General of the United Nations has committed to putting climate protection at the top of his own political agenda. But more than that: The Secretary-General rightly pointed out that ambitious climate protection policy does not constitute an obstacle to economic development, but a prerequisite, and that it offers enormous opportunities for innovation in our national economies," Minister Gabriel stated.
The conference in New York will in particular serve to deliberate on strategies for increasing energy efficiency and the share of renewable energies and for improving access to energy supply.
In his speech before the UN body, Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, also speaking on behalf of the German EU Presidency, called upon the CSD to recommend to governments the adoption of specific and binding targets for an increase in energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable energies: "Global security in the 21st century will be decisively determined by securing energy supply and preserving our natural resource base. The efficient use of raw materials and energy is therefore a key issue. Both industrialised and developing countries increasingly recognise that only those economies will be successful that focus on massive increases in efficiency and on the expansion of renewable energies."
Until tomorrow, Friday (11 May), participants in this year's high-level segment of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York will continue to discuss policy recommendations on sustainable energy policy, climate protection, industrial development and air pollution.
Further information:
- Press Release as at 12.05.2007: 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
- Press Release as at 08.05.2007: Sigmar Gabriel: Efficient use of energy and raw materials is the key question of the 21st century
- Detailed information on the 15th session of the CSD
- www.bmub.bund.de/english/international