Innlegg på “Kainaki II to COP 26”

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning from Oslo!

Thank you so much for inviting Norway to participate in this high-level roundtable. And thank you once again for letting me have the opportunity to participate in Tuvalu in August last year. It is very nice to see many of you again, even though virtually this time.

Five years ago tomorrow, the world agreed on the Paris Agreement and our shared path: To cut emissions rapidly. To build resilient and robust societies. And to mobilise finance and support.

The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic across the world have been severe, and we do not know all of them yet. Only through international cooperation and solidarity can the world succeed in defeating this virus. We cannot afford to fail.

But the pandemic must not be used as a reason to delay necessary climate action.

2020 is the year for raising ambitions. Norway submitted its enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions in February, as one of the first countries to do so. By 2030, we will cut emissions by at least 50%, and by up to 55% compared to 1990 levels. We are strengthening our domestic climate policies, and will employ carbon pricing as one of our most important measures.

I am very pleased to see that many island states have increased their ambitions as well. Enhanced NDCs are now required from all countries, especially big emitters.

Some of the countries participating here are members of the High-level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, which was initiated by Norway and is chaired by my Prime Minister Erna Solberg and the President of Palau. We invite others to join in on the ocean actions proposed by the Panel as late as last week. I hope the Panel’s report can direct greater attention to the vast potential of ocean-based climate action.

Norway shares the view of Pacific Island countries that climate change and security are closely linked. We will take up our seat on the Security Council in just under three weeks time, and we will work to ensure that the Council devotes more attention to climate-related security threats and to the impacts that climate change has on international peace and security.

We will continue to work with Pacific Island countries to achieve a successful COP 26 in Glasgow. COP 26 should provide the momentum for increased ambition and effective action.

With targeted ambitions, strong cooperation and focused support, we can deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Thank you.