“Now is the time for climate change. Every degree is important. ‘| Ministries

Ministries

Blog entry | 20-08-2021 | Meet our ambassadors and their missions

It Sixth Climate Report The official UN climate group, the IPCC (Committee of the Government on Climate Change), is transparent. Humans are causing warming faster than ever before. Only by reducing greenhouse gas emissions quickly and on a large scale can global warming be controlled and catastrophic disasters avoided.

You have only served as a Dutch climate ambassador for a few weeks, and then to the UN. Comes with such a warning statement. Were you shocked?

You could say that my start as a climate ambassador could not have started at the most crucial moment. In addition to the IPCC report, we have this fall International Climate Summit COP26 In Glasgow. This is the most important climate summit since Paris in 2015.

The thing that shocked me was that global warming is happening much faster than we previously thought. We can achieve the internationally accepted 1.5 degree target within ten years.

Rapid global warming is a fact we all have. Our actions determine how much the earth warms. Every degree is important. ‘

What will the climate ambassador really do?

And there is a special climate ambassador for more and more countries. You can see the growing international awareness that we must work to adapt to the climate.

As a climate ambassador, I am one of the faces of Dutch climate policy. I oversee or represent our ministers during international climate summits, and I oversee expert negotiations. Much has been written about what the IPCC report means to the Netherlands. It will be my mission in the coming years to connect the rest of the world with other countries and climate ambassadors. This applies to every country. ‘

What do you think we need to know about the IPCC report?

With the IPCC report, there is now a clear, science-based awareness call for the international community. The report confirms the cause of global warming. Ourselves. This is a warning bell: No place on earth can escape the effects of global warming.

At the same time, the report is a basis for joint action. Each country has endorsed the words. It may seem technical, but it is an inevitable condition if you want to tackle climate change at a computer level.

The perception that we have to work with the climate has certainly been growing for some time. The European Union has announced an ambitious green deal for no reason, and the United States is once again fully participating in international climate deals under President Biden. Japan, South Korea and China, Asia’s main emitters, also prioritize climate. We all need to get more active. ‘

There is still some time, UN says.

‘That’s right. We can change the waves if we act quickly and decisively. The world must adapt to what is to come and do everything in its power to reduce emissions immediately.

Young people from all over the world have taken to the streets and shook the world. They expect more climate action. That’s right, it’s about their future. We see it moving in the opposite direction. Some oil-producing countries even work on clean energy. But the pace needs to pick up. If we do not win fast in this battle, we will lose it. ‘

Outgoing Prime Minister Rudd said the Netherlands should become the Olympic champion of climate action. Don’t we wear very big pants?

The Netherlands is working on a green transition. It is not without challenges. For example, we need to get more renewable energy.

At the same time, we are a global leader in electric transportation and the circular economy. The Boulder model of our climate agreement has an international role model function. Our finance ministry is contributing to the fight against climate change and has signed the climate agreement. Climate will be a priority in a new cabinet, of which I have no doubt. With high ambition, we can work with other countries on solutions with greater reliability.

Remember that we are not alone as members of the European Union. Since the British exit from the European Union, the Netherlands has become the fifth largest economy in Europe. We are nothing but a small country within the EU. The voice we hear. Europe is the third largest emitter in the world. So what we do in the EU context has an impact. ‘

What do you think, are we going to create it?

“We have a lot to catch because we started the game too late. Energy company IEA predicts that global emissions will peak again in 2023.

It may make you depressed, but it is not an option. Yes, the effects of climate change are already being felt. Check out the latest heat logs and floods – with us in Limburg. But the IPCC report also shows a growing sense of urgency.

Everyone has a role to play in that. World leaders, governments, the private sector, banks, civil society organizations. We are all together and we can all mean something. Anyway, I’m going to work hard. ‘