Press release from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(Bonn, 13 May 2013):

Reacting to the fact that the global concentration of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere last week passed the 400 parts per million mark, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres on Monday called for a greatly stepped-up response to climate change by all parts of society:

“With 400 ppm CO2 in the atmosphere, we have crossed an historic threshold and entered a new danger zone. The world must wake up and take note of what this means for human security, human welfare and economic development. In the face of clear and present danger, we need a policy response which truly rises to the challenge. We still have a chance to stave off the worst effects of climate change, but this will require a greatly stepped-up response across all three central pillars of action: action by the international community, by government at all levels, and by business and finance.”

Governments will be meeting 3 – 14 June in Bonn for the next round of climate change talks under the umbrella of the UNFCCC. A central focus of the talks will be negotiations to build a new global climate agreement and to drive greater immediate climate action.