Soaring rhetoric, urgent pleas and pledges of cooperation contrasted with a backdrop of seismic political changes, global wars and economic hardships as United Nations annual climate talks began Monday and got right to the hard part: money.
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00:00Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows.
00:05They are dying in the dark.
00:08And they need more than compassion, more than prayers and paperwork.
00:14And they are crying out for leadership and action.
00:18COP29 is an unmissable moment to chart a new path forward for everyone.
00:25But we need much more from all of you.
00:29And I want to be crystal clear about our expectations.
00:34Our plan is based on two pillars to enhance ambition and enable action.
00:41This means setting out clear climate plans and delivering the finance we need.
00:48These two pillars are mutually reinforcing, each sending a strong signal to the other.
00:55Because as we mobilize climate finance, we allow for higher ambitions.
01:01And as we signal together higher ambition, we build trust to unlock greater financial
01:07commitments.
01:08Dear colleagues, to enable action, the COP29 presidency's top priority is to agree a
01:16fair and ambitious new collective quantified goal on climate finance.
01:22But we still have much to do and just 12 days to land a deal.
01:28We now urgently need to finalize the elements, resolve our differences on contributors and
01:34quantum, and set the new goal.
01:38These negotiations are complex and difficult.
01:43We understand the political and financial constraints.
01:47But let me make two points.
01:49First, these numbers may sound big, but they are nothing compared to cost of inaction.
01:57This investment payoff.
02:01And second, we are all in this together.
02:05Nothing has a greater impact on the security, prosperity, and well-being of all nations
02:11than climate change.
02:13And everyone is watching.
02:15And they are waiting.
02:17Africa is waiting.
02:19Asia is waiting.
02:21Europe is waiting.
02:23The Pacific is waiting.
02:25North America is waiting.
02:27South America is waiting.
02:29The Caribbean is waiting.
02:31Ladies and gentlemen, they are waiting for us to show leadership.
02:36And they cannot afford the cost of delay.
02:39So let us enhance ambition and enable action.
02:43Let us move forward in solidarity for a green world.
02:47And let us go to work.