President Piñera calls for urgent action against climate change: “Our generation has the mission to make human life sustainable on planet Earth and this requires a culture of sustainable life”

The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, made an appeal this Saturday to increase the efforts of all nations to fight climate change, set ambitious goals to achieve carbon neutrality and make progress towards sustainable development.

In an online meeting to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the President emphasized that “we have demonstrated that, when there is political will, multilateralism and collaboration between countries can be a powerful instrument in the advancement of the inclusive and sustainable development of our planet.”

“The threat of global warming is real and imminent. The voice of science has been loud and clear. Citizens are demanding a change in course as a moral imperative. Technology gives us the tools and common sense urges us to act,” added the President, who co-hosted an online meeting, together with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson; the President of France, Emmanuel Macron; the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giuseppe Conte; and the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.

The President reaffirmed that Chile has joined forces with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UNDP to drive the Climate Ambition Alliance in order to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. This effort, which began with a group of six countries at the G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Osaka, today includes more than 123 countries, 1,396 companies and 524 cities.

The President highlighted that Chile has made significant strides by presenting a road map that contemplates an emissions peak no later than 2025, based on concrete measures such as the total closure of coal-fired power stations by 2040, the electrification of all public transport by the same year, and reforestation and protection of forests to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We must all make decisive strides towards low-emission development models and commit to zero net emissions as soon as possible,” said the President.

“We must make the 21st century the century of decarbonization and clean and renewable energy; this is an ethical imperative and a moral obligation,” he added.

The President indicated that during COP25, Chile proposed to place science at the heart of decision-making and adaptation at the core of the discussion for the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. He has included new topics such as the protection and sustainable management of oceans and forests, creating forums for discussion and working toward the promotion of greater ambition and collaboration.

“Our generation has the mission to make human life sustainable on planet Earth and this requires a culture of sustainable life,” said the President at the global forum.