The Pandemic Has Made Climate Action More Urgent, Not Less
In a new Reuters column jointly written by the NDC Partnership’s two outgoing co-chairs and two incoming co-chairs, the four ministers outline various ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has made climate action more urgent. While addressing the pandemic has become a priority for many countries, the ministers argue that climate action, COVID-19 response, and economic recovery are linked and should be addressed simultaneously.
Investing in greener growth through clean energy, sustainable transport, and smarter land use has been shown time and again to generate high returns and job creation. Climate plans developed over the past several years - and which are now being updated with enhanced ambition - offer a basis for identifying and supporting more sustainable growth.
To seize these opportunities, however, countries need technical support and sustained access to finance. Fortunately, a mechanism exists to coordinate financial and technical assistance and help countries achieve their national climate commitments.
The NDC Partnership is a coalition of more than 180 countries and international institutions that coordinates the delivery of critical support to boost climate action and sustainable development. As Costa Rica and the Netherlands pass the leadership of this vital coalition to the governments of Jamaica and the United Kingdom, we draw on the strength of the Partnership and its members turn our collective focus to green economic recovery and mobilizing finance for NDC implementation.
The column was authored by Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Kingdom of the Netherlands; Andrea Meza Murillo, Minister of Environment and Energy, Republic of Costa Rica; Pearnel Charles Jr., Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Jamaica; and Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, United Kingdom.
Read the full column at https://news.trust.org/item/20201203103843-cedt6/.