Good afternoon. 
 
I am here to announce that I will be leaving later today to attend two important meetings on two of the most pressing challenges of our times: advancing a fair globalization and accelerating climate action.
 
Tonight, I depart for the G20 Summit in Argentina, where I will stress the need for inclusive development that leaves no one behind – the core promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 
From there, I will attend the Climate Conference in Poland – the so-called COP24.
 
These meetings come at a crucial moment.
 
Our world is obviously facing a crisis of confidence.
 
Those left behind by globalization are losing trust in governments and institutions. 
 
Inequality is pervasive and increasing, especially within nations. 
 
Trade disputes are escalating.
 
And an undercurrent of geopolitical tensions is adding further pressure to the global economy. 
 
It is imperative that we address the root causes and work together to promote a fair globalization. 
 
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for that fair globalization. 
 
I hope leaders at the G20 will give it a strong push forward.
 
But let’s not forget that equity is not just a matter for this generation.  We must think of generations to come. 
 
At the moment, we are headed for a world of cataclysm and uncertainty due to climate disruption. 
 
The world’s top scientists have warned that we have little time left to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees until the end of the century.
 
A UN Environment report just yesterday underlined that ambition must increase five-fold to stay within that limit. 
 
And the World Meteorological Organization found that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased to levels not seen in 3 million years.
 
Some may argue that you cannot fight climate change and have a good economy.  I strongly disagree.  In fact, the opposite is true. 
 
The social, economic and environmental costs of climate change dwarf the costs of acting now. 
 
Failure to act means more disasters and emergencies and air pollution that could cost the global economy as much as US$21 trillion by 2050. 
 
On the other hand, ambitious climate action will not only slow temperature rise, it will be good for economies, for the environment and for public health. 
 
According to the World Health Organization, more than 90 per cent of the world’s urban population breathes unsafe air.
 
Meeting the Paris Agreement commitments could save more than a million lives a year.
 
Climate solutions represent opportunity, and technology is on our side.  They are wise investments in an equitable, prosperous and sustainable future.  Green business truly is good business.
 
Now, the members of the G20 are responsible for more than three-quarters of greenhouse emissions.
 
Yet it is equally true that G20 members have the power to bend the emissions curve.
            
**Questions and Answers
 
Spokesman:  Sherwin.
 
Question:  Secretary‑General, Sherwin Bryce‑Pease, South African Broadcasting. Safe travels to you.
 
There is broad consensus that the looming trade war between China and the United States will be detrimental to the global economy, particularly countries like South Africa that are grappling with the triple challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty. These are central issues, as you've pointed out, to the UN agenda, which is the SDGs by 2030.
 
So, my question is a simple one. What can you do? What will you do as the United Nations' Secretary‑General to address this at the G20?
 
And, if I may, with Steph's indulgence, are you planning to meet the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman? And, if that were a meeting to go ahead, what might be on the agenda?
 
Secretary-General:  First of all, in relation to the agenda at the G20, it is clear that we will not be able to reach the Agenda 2030 objectives, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), without important economic growth, equitable growth, inclusive growth, but economic growth. And it's clear that trade wars undermine global economic growth.
 
So, my message is simply that we need increased dialogue to make sure that we avoid a situation in which trade wars will become an impediment for the global economic growth that is necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to provide people with the access to the benefits of progress. And, of course, we are particularly worried with the impact of trade wars in the least developed countries and the more fragile and vulnerable situations.
 
On the other hand, we are at a very crucial moment in relation to Yemen. I believe there is a chance to be able to start effective negotiations in Sweden early in December, but we are not yet there. I was, this morning, in consultations with Martin Griffiths. He has been shuttling, as you know, between Sana’a, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi. And I think we are close to create the conditions for the possibility for peace talks to start, and that will be an extremely important objective. And, of course, Saudi Arabia is absolutely crucial for that purpose, and I'm ready to discuss it with the Crown Prince or with any other Saudi officials, because I believe it is a very important objective at the present moment. If we are able to stop the Yemeni war, we will be stopping the most tragic humanitarian disaster we are facing in today's world.
 
Spokesman:  NHK, Sato.
 
Question:  Yes. As you mentioned, the climate change is at very crucial time, and... but... so, US Government, the second largest emission country, CO2 emission country, has even denied its own Government's report, recently issued. So, at the G20, how do you face with the US... the negative attitude towards climate change...?  [Cross talk]
 
Secretary-General:  As I mentioned many times, independently of the position of governments ‑‑ and this is true not only in the case that you mentioned ‑‑ we see a very important reaction of civil societies, of businesses, of cities, and I believe that it is perfectly possible that the United States will be meeting the Paris Agreement's commitments.
 
So, we need to look into things going beyond the governments’ action. We need to look into things with the total commitment of countries, including their civil society, their cities, their different regions, the business community, all those that, indeed, represent the economy of a country.
 
Spokesman:  Edie.
 
Question:  Thank you very much, Mr Secretary‑General. You've spoken about the need for global leadership on all of these issues. What specifically will you be asking world leaders to do in both Argentina and in Poland?
 
And, in a follow‑up to Sherwin's question, on the issue of meeting the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia or any other top Saudi officials, you yourself have called for a transparent and independent investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Is this something that you will raise?
 
Secretary-General:  This has been public since the beginning, and, of course, I have never a problem in saying publicly and privately the same thing. It's even a big advantage when you say publicly and privately exactly the same things; you are not caught in contradictions.
 
But leadership here has two very important meanings, first increased ambition. We are not meeting the promises that were made in Paris, and we need not only for countries to fully assume and implement the engagements they made in Paris, but we need more ambition. And, for more ambition, we need more leadership.
 
So, leadership is the capacity of political leaders to make their countries be more ambitious in relation to the objectives for climate change.
 
But leadership is also the capacity to compromise. We are going to Katowice, and in Katowice, we will have funding problems on the table. They will have the rules book, the work programme of Paris Agreement for its implementation, on the table. There are different opinions. There are different positions.
 
Leadership is to understand that the agreement is the most important objective, that more than to be very stubborn in staying in each one's position, it is very important to fill the need to compromise and to find something that can be acceptable for everybody in order for Katowice to be a success, in order for the preparations of our summit that will take place in September next year on climate action to also create the conditions to allow for all the concerns of Member States in relation to financing, in relation to emissions, in relation to adaptation, for all those concerns to be met in a balanced way in which all interests can be put together and the different positions that exist converge with the leadership that is necessary for that.
 
Spokesman:  Great. Thank you very much.
 
Secretary-General:  Okay. Thank you very much.
 
They also have the resources to provide the financing needed for both mitigation and adaptation.
 
I recall the pledge to mobilize US$100 billion a year for climate action in support of the developing world from 2020.
 
I welcome Germany’s announcement today of $1.5 billion dollars to the Green Climate Fund.
 
At COP24 in Katowice, I will also underscore the need for countries to adopt the Paris Agreement work programme – the rule book for implementation. 
 
I will carry the same message to both meetings:  At a time of declining global trust, our world needs stepped-up global leadership.
 
Strong economic growth, reduced inequality and limiting carbon emissions are possible and compatible.
 
But we need greater ambition.
 
We are in a race for our future.  It’s a race we can and simply must win.
 
Thank you.