Marie-Pierre Gramaglia spoke on behalf of the Principality of Monaco at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 23) in Bonn on Thursday, November 16, and offered support to the island state of Fiji.
In her speech, Monaco’s Minister for Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development reiterated the objectives of the Principality of Monaco in reducing greenhouse gases: a reduction of 50 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
“Today my country wants the commitment of all parties to be ambitious and transparent in order to achieve the goal we have collectively set for ourselves, to contain the average rise in global temperatures to less than two degrees from at pre-industrial levels and as far as possible below 1.5 °C.”
In the face of major meteorological events, Marie-Pierre Gramaglia asked: “Do not these extreme phenomena bring us back to the urgency of a situation that we have too long underestimated? Is it not today our collective responsibility to act and establish mechanisms to facilitate access to international funding for the most vulnerable?”
Speaking to the Fiji Presidency of COP 23, the Minister added that “our two countries share the same approach to the key role of oceans for climate. Beyond threats, we also know the tremendous opportunities that oceans hold, provided we are able to protect and exploit them in a sustainable way.
“It is important to highlight their incredible potential for mitigation and adaptation. As such, the IPCC Special Report on the Oceans and the Cryosphere, to be published in 2019, will undoubtedly provide new insights to enrich debates on these issues and inform our decisions.”
“It is fundamental that the commitment of each and everyone is maintained so that together we can achieve the objectives and thus ensure a sustainable future for our children.”
COP23, which ran until November 17, was chaired by Fiji, an island state particularly affected by the effects of climate change.