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C OP19 summit in Warsaw a vital step towards global emissions reduction
deal in 2015 says UN climate chief.

First, the world is eagerly waiting for the ratifcations of the second commitment By Christiana Figueres,
period of the Kyoto Protocol. Second, we must take the institutional arrangements Executive Secretary,
that have already been agreed to and move them from the design phase into the United Nations Framework
operational phase. That includes all the institutional arrangements to support Convention on Climate Change
developing countries in both fnance and technology.

All of this is already agreed. Then we have the issues that are still under
negotiation and which Warsaw must move. There, Warsaw needs progress in 3
major areas: First: fnance. We must be able to move the Green Climate Fund into
its operational phase. The board is getting ready for an initial capitalization in next
year. One goal of the GCF will be to help to de - risk and leverage private capital.
The annual $ 100 billion that has been committed to, as climate fnance needs to
be understood in the context of real need.
The IEA says we will need a yearly investment of $1 trillion into clean energy and
resilient infrastructure to transform in order to transform the economy. The $100
billion is then basically the tail that needs to wag the dog: that funding needs to
point the dog in the direction of green capital fows. It must move because we
know the fnancing is not $100 billion per year, it is $1 trillion. That is what needs
to be mobilized.

Second: loss and damage. Progress on this is incontrovertible. We know that we
had, at the last COP in Doha, a starting decision. But we are far away from where
we have to be on both adaptation and the next phase on loss and damage, so
we need very clear progress on the mechanism to support loss and damage.
Third: the ADP. We need to further clarify the elements to be included in a draft
agreement. Countries need to consider an ambitious and clear draft in Lima in
2014. Such a draft needs to include two diffcult, but absolutely crucial points of
progress from Warsaw.

Number one, governments have to walk out of Warsaw knowing their next step is
to go home and do the necessary internal analysis, so that they are in a position
to put their national contribution on the table towards a global solution. Number
two, Warsaw must fgure out how the process is going to recognize all of the other
actions, activities and initiatives that are going on outside the formal process.

The climate change negotiating process is the centre, but certainly not
the circumference of climate action. The point of the formal process is for
governments to point in the right direction and then all the sectors and initiatives
actually provide the speed and action that is necessary. Warsaw needs to change
the narrative that we have created over time.

We need to leave Warsaw with a dominant narrative of constructive engagement
on climate action. That is why the secretariat is using Warsaw as a platform to
showcase action that is already occurring. To this end we have chosen three
areas: women, the urban poor, and innovative fnancing. On their side the COP
presidency will be offering Warsaw as a platform for cities and businesses to
show what they’re doing. Warsaw needs to be a resounding response to the call
for action that has been put out by the frst IPCC Working Group.
My friends, now is the time and Warsaw needs to show that we have understood
that now is the time.
This text is part of a longer statement made by the Christiana Figueres at the
Chatham House Climate Conference on Monday 21 October 2013

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