Climate change creates unlevel playing field—UN

The United Nations (UN) has observed that climate change has created an unleveled playing field for future generations, hence the need for delegates to the 19 Conference of the Parties (COP19) to move faster towards the socially equitable and economically sustainable future.
Executive Secretary United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Christiana Figueres said COP19 opened against the backdrop of sound science and climate effect the extent and scope of which the world is only beginning to experience.
The conference is being held at Poland’s National Stadium under the weight of many sobering realities.
Said Figueres: “There is no doubt that climate change has created an unlevel playing field for future generations. Previous generations unknowingly had an advantage; and now we know that the next generations face a monumental uphill struggle,”
She asked delegates to the conference to urgently level the playing field noting that collective climate-friendly capacity has increased as the risks of inaction materialise and the rewards of action magnify and multiply.
Figueres further observed that there is a groundswell of climate action.
“Not only for environmental reasons, but also for security, energy, economic and governance reasons. Political will and public support favour action now.
“A new universal climate agreement is within our reach. Agencies, development banks, investors and sub-national governments are on board. The science from the IPCC is clear. Parties can lead the momentum for change and move together towards success in 2015,”she said.
She urged delegates to stay focused, exert maximum effort for the full time and produce a positive result, because what happens in this stadium is not a game.
Climate envoys from all countries meet in Poland for the next two weeks to lay the groundwork for a new global warming pact.
—Muwamba is reporting from COP19 Climate Change meetings in Warsaw in Poland.