Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
Señoras y señores, buenos tardes, mucho gusto.

First of all, it is a great pleasure to meet you on this occasion. Thank you for your time, and I’d like to apologize sincerely for postponing my press conference because [this morning’s] conference was going on and I couldn’t leave! Thank you very much again.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There will be many speeches, meetings, this week here, but my consistent and same message throughout this Conference will be clear and consistent: Science has not only spoken – it is shouting from the rooftops.

Our planet has a fever – and it is getting hotter every day.

We can no longer afford to burn our way to prosperity. We must take climate action now.

And the more we delay, the more we will have to pay.

This is our only world. We have a moral and political responsibility, now, here in Lima – a historical responsibility from Lima to Paris. Future generations should be able to leave our planet sustainable – environmentally, socially, and economically.

We simply must find cleaner, greener ways of powering progress.

We come together here in Lima with a measure of optimism.

There is a new climate for change.

In September at the Climate Summit, more than 100 heads of State and government gathered. There were two purposes of convening this climate summit meeting in New York.

First, to raise the political awareness on climate change among world leaders and business community and civil society leaders. And secondly, galvanizing action on the ground.

I believe that more or less we have achieved those two goals. And all the leaders from business and government and civil society, they reaffirmed that they should work together to put this planet earth and our future onto a sustainable path where the global temperature rise would be contained to below two degrees. The summit brought together all these leaders and this is now time to implement what they have said. This is the main purpose of Lima.

And at that time, mayors from around the world launched an agreement that will lead to significant emission reductions and more liveable cities.

And leaders from governments, the investment community and financial institutions committed to mobilize over $200 billion for low-carbon and climate-resilient solutions.

In October, as you are well aware, the European Union countries committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from its 1990 levels by 2030.

In November, China and the United States, the world’s two largest economies and two largest emitters, responsible for 45 per cent of global emissions, announced a ground-breaking agreement in which both countries set emissions reduction goals.

We have now also nearly almost, very closely, we have been able to mobilize $10 billion to operationalize the Green Climate Fund, known as the GCF. This fund will help developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change and enhance their mitigation efforts.

The world is waking up to the climate challenge.

The negotiations here must be about acting together to transform this progress into the basis for a meaningful, universal climate agreement.

Important decisions must be taken in Lima.

As said this morning, I have five requests of all Parties:

First, we need to leave here with a draft text for the 2015 Agreement that provides a clear and solid foundation for negotiations next year. We must also reach a common understanding on the scope and status of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs. I encourage all Parties, in particular all major economies, to submit their INDCs by the first quarter of 2015.

Second, we need tangible progress on climate finance – specifically, achieving $10 billion for the Green Climate Fund while building a pathway to meeting the goal of $100 billion per year by 2020, and realizing the $200 billion committed by the private finance sector. As I said, we have almost achieved this initial operationalization of the GCF.

Third, prioritizing adaptation support and resilience building for the most vulnerable, especially the least developed countries and small island developing nations.

Fourth, pressing all actors – including the private sector, civil society, cities and others – to scale up and catalyse more action within ambitious timelines.

Fifth, countries that have not yet done should swiftly ratify the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Much has changed in the climate debate over the [last] eight years. When I took office, I saw time running out and the world falling short. Today, the momentum for transformation is building.

Governments, businesses and people at large are recognizing the grave threat we face and are doing something about it. The action must continue in Lima.

We need a meaningful, global agreement, and we need action now.

I thank you for your support, and I’ll be ready to answer your questions.