France

Merci Monsieur le Président de la COP 21 pour votre leadership.

Mesdames, Messieurs,

Je tiens à saluer le leadership de Laurent Fabius à la tête de la COP.

Ses efforts pendant ces derniers mois, mais surtout ces derniers jours et nuits, sont presque surhumains!

Je suis très reconnaissant de son travail. Son travail et sa diplomatie sont très appréciés de toutes les délégations.

Je suis convaincu et confiant que les negotiateurs, les parties, pourront adopter un accord ambitieux et fort.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This is the fifth time I have addressed this Momentum for Change event.

Each time, I am filled with renewed hope.

I thank the Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for organizing these gatherings.

Today, as never before, we see momentum for change coming from every sector of society.

Governments, cities, the private sector, investors, faith communities and the public at large are mobilized, as we have seen here in Paris.

Honorable Former Vice-President Al Gore,
Ms. Emma Ruby Sachs,
Ms. May Boeve,
Dear civil society leaders with whom we have been working together.

Thank you very much for your strong commitment to work with the United Nations, to work for the people for the people of the world and to work for a very healthy planet.

Emma, we are working for your baby and many other babies who may be born, who were born already, and many other babies and children that will come to this world.

We are very much work for them.

Your Excellency M. Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of France and President of COP21, Your Excellency Mr. John Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States, Excellencies, Distinguished business leaders, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to be with you.

I thank the United Nations Global Compact for its leadership.

The collective momentum among the private sector for climate action is growing daily.

Thank you again, Secretary Kerry. It is a great pleasure to see you again in Paris. Thank you for your leadership. I have been highly commending the leadership of Secretary Kerry in addressing the Syrian issues, in particular the Vienna 1 and Vienna 2 processes, in which we have been able to begin the preparations for eventual political process. And I warmly welcome your initiative again to hold the third meeting in New York on 18th of December.

Distinguished business leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the World Business Council for Sustainable Development for hosting this event.

And I commend those leaders from the business community who are adopting forward-looking strategies and calling for ambitious policies that will help us achieve a low-emissions, climate-resilient future.

You understand that there need be no trade-off between addressing climate change and achieving sustainable economic growth.

Your Excellency Ms. Segolene Royal, Minister of Environment, Energy and Sustainable Development of France,
Your Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly,
Your Excellency Mr. Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy of the United States of America,
Your Excellency Mr. Hakima El Haite, Minister Delegate in charge of the Environment of Morocco,
Mr. Xu Shaoshi, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China,
Mr. Adnan Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency,

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to be with you.

We have just begun the High Level segment of COP21.

Here in Paris, we have a unique opportunity to redefine our future.

We are on the verge of one of the most important peace agreements of our times – making peace with our planet.

Outside these negotiating halls, there is a rising global tide of support for a strong, universal climate agreement.

Your Excellency M. Laurent Fabius, President of COP21,
Distinguished ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ever since I became Secretary-General, nearly nine years ago, I have called climate change the defining issue of our time.

It places our very future in jeopardy.

Yet, here in Paris we have the unique opportunity to define our own destiny.

In rising to the climate challenge, we can set the world on a sustainable footing for generations to come, and lay the foundation for prosperity and security for all.