IRENA chief urges support for small island developing states in battling climate change

Source: Xinhua| 2019-09-24 04:55:52|Editor: yan
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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Francesco La Camera on Monday voiced support for small island developing states (SIDS) in the battle against climate change.

In an address to the Climate Action Summit at the UN headquarters in New York, La Camera said, "It's possible to secure justice for SIDS who, along with least developed countries, are the most threatened [by the effects of a warming planet], despite having contributed nothing to climate change."

While SIDS have shown climate leadership through 100 percent renewable energy ambitions, realizing these ambitions is critical, something the agency pledged to continue supporting.

"IRENA stands with SIDS in this effort, including through the SIDS Lighthouses initiative which received a new injection of financial support from Denmark, Germany, Norway and the United Arab Emirates," he said.

Furthermore, the director general introduced the recently launched Climate Investment Platform.

"The recently launched Climate Investment Platform will be inclusive, well-articulated, proactive and agile in supporting SIDS and other developing countries access the capital necessary to respond. It will also facilitate private sector engagement to accelerate the energy transition, and scale-up a low-carbon resilient economic future for islands."

"It's possible to mobilize financial resources for the change," he said, adding that it's possible to limit warming if investment is made in the energy transition.

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