UNFCCC’s Patricia Espinosa
The New Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

In recent news, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Patricia Espinosa as the new Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In her first sit-down interview with the UN News Centre, the Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, discussed the pressing and integral need to act against climate change and create a productive dialogue about how to approach not only climate mitigation strategies, but also adaptation strategies. In an effort to galvanize the public, Espinosa proffered a significant message that addresses one of the more human, moral reasons for why we all must do what we can to reduce climate change and its impacts. Her response during the UN interview is transcribed below. You can also watch the interview and her statements below the transcription:

“UN News Centre: What will be the main driver to ramp up ambitions of countries to do more to reduce emissions and build resilience?

Patricia Espinosa: Actually, climate change is really about the well-being of people. It is not a very vague concept or a vague problem that is out of our everyday lives. It is actually affecting our everyday lives and this is the fundamental fact that everybody should keep in mind while working toward a low-carbon society. If we think about the people that are affected in their health by the effects of climate change – for instance, the quality of air that we are breathing and how much children and older people are suffering from that; if we look at people who are living in poverty, who are suddenly victims to flooding and they lose not only the little property that they have but they also lose members of their families; if we look at disasters that are destroying infrastructure, leaving completely isolated communities in different parts of the world – we are talking about the lives of people. So having that consideration in mind, it’s a big driver towards more ambitious and urgent action by everybody.” (UN.org)

*Images by UN.org