BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 12. We face a climate threat that is an existential threat to humanity, said European Council President Charles Michel as he delivered his national statement at the opening of COP29 in Baku, Trend reports.
"It is our responsibility as human beings to wage this war against nature," he said, while pointing out that developed countries bear greater responsibility for climate change and should therefore lead by example. Michel underscored the Paris Agreement as "our peace treaty with nature", urging that the principle of cooperation should govern the implementation of the accord.
Michel highlighted the European Union's commitment to financing climate efforts, announcing $31 billion in EU contributions and calling on others to join, particularly G7 and emerging countries.
"We stress the need to broaden the donor base, and we must have more contributors," he said. To mobilize climate efforts further, Michel supported a "multi-track approach" that includes carbon pricing and involving development banks. "The euro is the currency of the climate," he stated, underlining the EU’s commitment to supporting developing countries through partnerships like those established with South Africa and Indonesia for equitable energy transitions.
Reflecting on recent multilateral achievements, Michel described the climate pact forged in New York as a "ray of hope" and expressed optimism that COP29 could be "a COP that will walk the talk".