Intervention by Hungary at the High-Level SDG Action Event entitled "Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda", 23 March 2017.
Your Excellences,
Dear Mr President, Dear Madame Executive Secretary,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. One cannot succeed without the other. Today’s High-Level Action Event is a great opportunity to use the momentum we have after the remarkable progress of the past one and a half year.
Hungary supported the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement by ratifying it as one of the first countries, in order to send a strong signal regarding our Governments’ commitment to address climate change. We were actually the first EU country to do so. It is a truly global and legally-binding agreement with the aim to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change. We largely welcome that after ratification by 137 parties, the legal force is effective as of 4 November 2016.
Now it’s time for implementation of both the Agreement and the SDGs to overcome the unprecedented challenges of sustainability and poverty reduction. Our Ministry of National Development holding the climate and energy portfolio started to incorporate the provisions of the Paris Agreement into our climate strategy planning shortly after the ratification.
The assessment by the World Meteorological Organisation of the climate in 2016 published just the day before yesterday reports unprecedented heat across the globe, exceptionally low ice at the Northern and Southern poles and surging sea-level rise. This is very worrying indeed.
Having a Bureau Member in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; we encourage the Panel to provide concrete options and scenarios for effective decision-making taking into account the time constraint and the many advantages of early responses to the adverse effect of climate change.
We are convinced that countries need to establish inter-ministerial coordination and a sense of ownership of the agreements by all ministries domestically, i.e. to have a shared responsibility for their implementation.
It’s not only in the political sphere however, that high level messages need to be placed. Businesses should be closely involved in setting the path for sustainable development towards a more resilient future against the risks of climate change.
Achieving transformation to a low greenhouse gas emission and climate resilient global economy requires action by all stakeholders of social and economic life.
Hungary supports innovative partnerships on climate adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development solutions. Financing is critically important for the achievement of the SDGs, including on climate action. H.E. Mr. János Áder, President of Hungary has initiated a dialogue with multilateral development banks and other stakeholders to renew cooperation aimed at significantly increasing investment in the water sector.
The obligation of countries to produce their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement gives a great opportunity to align their 2030 development needs with sustainable and low-carbon development.
We can seek solutions on keeping global average temperature rise below 2°C only through synergies, making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your kind attention!
