New York, 20 January 2021Statement by the Secretary-General – on US steps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
I warmly welcome President Biden’s steps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and join the growing
coalition of governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious action to confront the climate crisis.
Following last year’s Climate Ambition Summit, countries producing half of global carbon pollution had committed to
carbon neutrality. Today’s commitment by President Biden brings that figure to two-thirds. But there is a very long way
to go. The climate crisis continues to worsen and time is running out to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius
and build more climate-resilient societies that help to protect the most vulnerable.
We look forward to the leadership of United States in accelerating global efforts towards net zero, including by
bringing forward a new nationally determined contribution with ambitious 2030 targets and climate finance in advance of
COP26 in Glasgow later this year.
I am committed to working closely with President Biden and other leaders to overcome the climate emergency, and recover
better from COVID19.UNDP to launch result of ‘Peoples' Climate Vote, biggest survey ever on public opinion on climate change
On Wednesday 27 January, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford will launch the global results
of the ‘Peoples' Climate Vote.’ The survey is the biggest ever on public opinion on climate change and covers 50
countries and more than half of the world’s population over the age of 14.
The innovative survey was distributed across mobile gaming apps in order to include hard-to-reach audiences in
traditional polling, like young people under the age of 18. It asked people if they believe that climate change is a
global emergency and the policies – across energy, economy, food and farms, transportation, protecting people, and
nature – that they would like to see enacted.