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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear delegates from all over the world.
Standing in the midst of the ancient Mayan heartland, I’m reminded of the popular saying, that the pyramids are among the few man-made objects visible from outer space.
Of course, we know that this is not the entire story, but only a few great phenomena – like the pyramids – have indeed witnessed the changing seasons of two millenniums.
Across the hemisphere, we find another such great phenomenon. The ice cap of Greenland has rested under the northern star for thousands of years.
But times are changing, and a new chapter is added to the story: When I visited Greenland a few months ago, I looked the grim effects of global warming right into the eye.
Suddenly, spring starts two weeks earlier, and the ice cap is melting rapidly.
Indeed, no matter how we look upon it, it is an indisputable scientific fact, that climate change is happening, and it will continue, if we don’t act.
Unless we chart a new course on energy, reduce emissions and adopt solid measures on adaptation, we are heading down the wrong side of the road.
Because climate change has no borders and affects us all,
but has the strongest repercussions on those, who have contributed the least to the problem.
Just take the citizens of the Maldives, which I visited last week: they will literally be taken by the sea, if we don’t act at the global level.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear delegates.
For the next two weeks we represent the multilateral response to the great challenge of climate change.
Our response must match realities.
Finance must flow to the least capable of dealing with the challenge, global emissions must peak within a decade
and they must be more than halved before 2050.
And even though, we may not establish the ultimate framework for comprehensive global action here in Cancun,
we need to take decisive steps towards the ultimate goal - a legally binding outcome.
We simply need to build the strongest foundation possible. As you say here in Mexico:
“If the house is built on the rock, it will remain, despite strong winds and storms.”
Let’s be frank with one another, it is not going to be an easy ride here in the Moon Palace.
But with the excellent stewardship of our Mexican host,
the support of the Secretariat and the guidance of our two chairs. And with YOUR determined collective effort, it’s my hope that we’ll have the same experience as one of the astronauts travelling to the real moon – I quote:
“When you're finally up at the moon
looking back on earth,
all those differences and nationalistic traits
are pretty well going to blend,
and you're going to get a concept
that maybe this really is one world …”
So dear delegates; Let’s show the world, that climate change was not put on ice in freezing Copenhagen, that we can build upon the progress made, and that we can strike a balanced deal.
So in short: let’s show the world that Cancun can!