12-18 September 2016
The Head of European Union Delegation and the EU Special Representative, Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“From 12 to 18 September 2016, countries in the European Union and around the world are marking the Climate Diplomacy week to sustain high public momentum for climate action. New global climate agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) represents the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. It sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2oC. To further underline their determination countries also agreed to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1,5oC. It was a defining moment in the safeguarding of the planet for future generations.
Now, ten months on from that historic outcome, the European Union (EU) remains proud of the ambitious Paris Agreement and Bosnia and Herzegovina should be too. However there is no room for complacency after the success of the Paris Conference; for the vision of a global low emissions future to materialise, our attention needs to turn to putting our words into action.
More than 180 countries have now signed the Paris Agreement and 27 have completed their domestic ratification procedures and become Parties to the Agreement. We encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina to step up its efforts and to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible. Ratification is an important step towards implementation of the Paris Agreement but ratifying the agreement on its own will not deliver the necessary greenhouse gas reductions, adaptation action and financing.
Equally important are the steps countries will take to meet the commitments made in Paris, starting with the policy and legislative frameworks required to develop robust national climate plans and international approaches, in coordination with civil society and economic actors. The more responsible approach towards our environment is also an opportunity to create new jobs, businesses, technologies and competitive advantages that prepare us better for the new climate compatible economy.
The EU has more than two decades of experience in developing and implementing ambitious climate policy, and we are committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop national climate plans and make the transition to low-carbon climate-resilient economies and we invite everybody to do their part that would lead us toward sustainable, healthier and more prosperous future.”
