Appearing before representatives from other countries, the United Nation's Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stressed the urgent need to reverse the global effects of climate change, according to the U.N. News Center.
Ban emphasized that through a collective action from all countries, the world will be able to make a historically significant impact in protecting the environment.
The Secretary-General made the statement on Tuesday while in Lima, Peru for UN's 20th Conference of Parties. The aim of the conference was for each country to draft a plan detailing their respective government's proposed projects to curb global warming. This will then be compiled into a treaty which will be presented in next year's conference, Business Standard reported.
"First, we must deliver here in Lima a balanced, well-structured and coherent draft text for the 2015 agreement that provides a clear and solid foundation for negotiations next year in Paris," Ban said.
As part of U.N.'s environmental goals, the organization's General Assembly President Sam Kutesa noted that countries must enact economic policies that coincide with effective conservation actions, according to Fox News Latino. This includes reducing the carbon emission of their industrial facilities.
"We need to transform the current economic and social models into low carbon and ultimately climate neutral economies," Kutesa said during the event. "Our challenge is to have a climate agreement that promotes socio-economic development in a sustainable manner."
In addition, the Secretary-General reminded the 11,500 delegates from 194 countries that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) must reach the goal of $100 billion by 2020. Ban explained that the funds will be used to support developing countries to create environmental conservation programs.
"The GCF must deliver on its promise to balance support for adaptation and mitigation," he said. "Work on loss and damage must be accelerated and we must bring the National Adaptation Plans of developing countries to life by agreeing how they should be funded and implemented."
"Investments in addressing climate change will propel gains in broader development goals," he added. "Conversely, investments made in development must be aligned with our climate aims."
