Mr. Secretary General,
Distinguished presidents, prime ministers and high representatives of UN member countries,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have gathered to exchange views on a long-standing problem which, unfortunately, has only recently begun to engage the world's attention. It is a problem which can literally jeopardize life on Earth as a whole.
This is why I would like to start by thanking the Secretary General for his initiative in organizing this Summit. We are practically meeting at the eleventh hour in every sense of the word. Little time is left for thought. We need urgent and concrete action! That is the point of this meeting, as I see it, and that is why we have convened here.
I also welcome the decision of the President of the General Assembly to suggest the same topic for the agenda of the debate starting tomorrow.
I shall not be saying anything new, but some points are nevertheless worth recalling. If anything, then to remind ourselves of the issue. As political leaders we have a particular responsibility for the future. If the founders of the United Nations stressed, with every right and reason, in the preamble of the Charter that they want to save coming generations from the horrors of war, today we have the very same right and reason to bravely assume the obligation to preserve our planet for future generations and not to leave it destroyed and unfit for life.
As established by the intergovernmental panel on climate changes, global warming is an unquestionable fact. It is equally unquestionable that we are causing it. And that not only imposes but also enhances the obligation to undo the damage done and prevent new damage.
Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, was early last summer the venue of the Regional Energy Summit of Southeast Europe with the participation of the Russian Federation. Speaking at the Summit, I drew attention to the difficult trade-off facing us as political leaders: there are, on the one hand, certain steps we must take and, on the other hand, steps we must not take. Why a difficult trade-off? Because we must provide energy to our countries and peoples and, at the same time, prevent future devastation of the environment, including the increasingly detrimental climate changes. So far the former has led to the latter.
We have reached the point where we must understand and accept the fact that the long-term general interest of the human race, of us all, must have precedence over short-term, individual interests, that is, over the interests of individual countries. What is then to be done?
It is my deep belief, based on the opinions of outstanding experts, that the transition to a globally sustainable energy system is the basis of mitigation. In order to achieve that target we, the world's leaders, must act at three levels: the global, the regional and the national level. The respective global policy must include both the cost and the benefit of mitigation, but this can be and must be a common effort. The fulfillment of a promise by one state will depend on the commitment of another.
I believe, therefore, that this meeting will miss the mark and that the chance will remain untapped unless we use this event in order to send out a clear message that we are determined about the ways and kinds of our commitments in creating a common mitigation framework.
I know that this is not a simple task. I have already referred to the link between the required provision of energy for development and growth, and the prevention of already absolutely unacceptable consequences - the proportional growth of emission and pollution of all kinds.
Therefore, we want to weaken the historic union, if I may call it that way, of GDP and the consumption of primary energy. In order to achieve that we must necessarily bring about a change in the organization of industrial production, way of life and consumer habits, while providing at the same time the quality of everyday life.
Of course, it would be difficult to forecast accurately the future energy system. However, changes of its general features may be observed in recent years in terms of continued diversification and use of different available sources and technologies, depending on local conditions and potentials. Increasing attention is being paid to efficient energy use. Progress towards the use of cleaner energy sources and technologies will be intensified already in the first rather than in the second decade of the current century.
I come from Southeast Europe, a region which is not one of the major polluters on the old continent. Although Croatia is one of the minor polluters in the region, it is already committed to long-term economic and social progress hand in hand with long-term preservation of the environment. We are introducing the environment as a dimension into all major issues of economic and social development facing us in the twenty-first century.
Croatia believes that the implementation of energy efficiency measures, the use of renewable energy sources, change of fuel, capture and use of methane at disposal sites, the capture of carbon dioxide and its storage in geological formations, afforestation and forest protection from fire, will have a positive effect on air quality, dependable energy supply, competitiveness and reduction of production costs, employment, soil and ground water protection, biological diversity and protection of the environment in general.
Over the past few months there have been several warnings that the reductions required for stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions to the level which will not jeopardize the climate system cannot be achieved with the currently applied steps and technologies.
What is required is the enhanced use of new, advanced technologies, and additional investments into future technology. Because of this Croatia, where the Kyoto Protocol entered into force this very month, is firmly committed to meeting the assumed obligations in terms of greenhouse gas emission.
But we are also aware - and I hope that this awareness is starting to prevail in most countries, especially those that, owing to the nature of things, can do most in this field - that we must urgently and resolutely consider the drawing up of a future international agreement on climate protection after 2012. Such an agreement ought to be based on three pillars.
First, we need a substantial reduction of emissions by all signatories of the Framework UN Convention on Climate Change, matching their contribution to climate change. Second, we must strengthen international cooperation and the transfer of new technologies supporting sustainable development. Third, we must be aware of the difference between developed and developing countries in terms of their respective responsibility.
In view of all this, this meeting should send out a clear message that we are all determined and ready for an agreement regarding the problem of climate change. The problem affects all of us and it shows that no state is “an island entire of itself”. This is precisely why it is perfectly clear that we can deal with it only through common effort, and fulfill our historic responsibility to future generations by common concerted action.
Let us tell them, today from New York, that we are aware of this historic responsibility and prepared to assume it - in the interest of the future of our countries and of the world in general.
Thank you!
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