Amsterdam, Netherlands \u2013 In a unified call for stronger action on climate ahead of the UN talks in Poland next month, 14 European Heads of State and two heads of government have called for all countries to revisit their national climate action plans in light of the latest scientific findings.<\/p>\n
The declaration is signed by the heads of state in Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland and from the heads of government in the Netherlands and Sweden.<\/p>\n
The declaration cites the impacts and risks of global warming outlined in the Special Report on 1.5\u00b0 Celsius from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and calls on all countries to \u201crevisit\u201d their national action plans (NDCs) in light of these findings by 2020.<\/p>\n
In response, Greenpeace\u2019s Head of Delegation at COP24, Jens Mattias Clausen said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis call to action puts every government firmly on notice: cast your differences aside and act as one for the good of us all. We\u2019re on the cusp of irrevocable climate devastation and there is no time to waste. Act now or condemn the world to disaster. Act now and reap the benefits of sustainable development.<\/p>\n
\u201cCOP24 is the most important decision point for the climate since Paris, a pivotal moment to ramp up action. We\u2019ve had the IPCC report, we\u2019ve seen the worsening climate impacts and we know the dire consequences of inaction. In Katowice nations must commit to enhancing their climate targets (NDCs) by 2020 at the latest and aligning them with the 1.5\u00b0C target agreed to in Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n
The declaration comes less than a week ahead of the European Commission\u2019s publication of a proposed long-term European Union climate strategy, which will set the stage for negotiations between European governments on the EU\u2019s climate targets.<\/p>\n
It also coincides with a virtual Summit of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), where the leaders of the 48 nations most vulnerable to climate change met on 22 November solely online to also call for accelerated climate \u00a0action in response to the IPCC report.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the world\u2019s most vulnerable nations, global warming is a matter of life or death. There are no second chances and in the light of the IPCC report, failure to ramp up action is unacceptable. COP24 must now result in a robust political commitment to action,\u201d Clausen added.<\/p>\n
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