Last Friday, the United Nations marked another crucial milestone on climate change, when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the Paris Agreement for signature.
In total, leaders and representatives from 175 countries signed the Agreement that day. Ban Ki-moon said the gathering ‘made history by garnering the greatest number of signatures on the first day of any UN agreement’.
«The historic signing of the Paris Agreement by 175 governments is a significant step forward for the deal. Over the coming months, efforts to turn the agreement from words into actions will intensify, and will need to involve all stakeholders – government, business and civil society – if its goals are to be met. CARBON EXPO 2016 (May 25-27 in Cologne, Germany), jointly organized by the World Bank Group, IETA, and the Koelnmesse, provides an ideal platform for such public-private dialogue, as well as business opportunities for companies around the world, as we focus on the future we want», said Dirk Forrister, President & CEO of IETA.
To realize the full potential of the Paris Agreement, policymakers and businesses around the world need to join forces in advancing carbon markets that can provide pricing signals to stimulate innovation and accelerate action.
CARBON EXPO is a catalyst. This global annual conference and trade fair uses the power of connections to speed up the pace of social and environmental change, and to redefine the outer edges of «what’s possible.» Like you, we’re in this for the long haul – we want to turn daunting global challenges into real business opportunities.
It’s time to build on the momentum of today. Climate change is not slowing down, and the longer we delay action, the more costly it will be. Market mechanisms can help to significantly cut the costs of action, while achieving the desired emissions reductions quicker than other policy options.
Carbon Expo
