There is no longer any doubt that we have been disrupting the ecological balance of our planet for decades and that the time has come to face this dark truth. Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. Science is warning us that the climate crisis is happening set and that it represents a "red alarm" for humanity.
The recently concluded UN Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26) took place in the year of an important jubilee for Montenegro - the 30th anniversary of the declaration of an ecological state. Nothing speaks so clearly of the strength of that determination as Montenegro's determination to incorporate it into its Constitution.
When Montenegro decided to continue its development along the green path, 30 years ago, few expected that the green path would become the only way forward for everyone.
Just three decades later, the alarm bells about climate change are deafening, and the evidence is impossible to ignore: temperatures are reaching record highs, while biodiversity is at record lows; the oceans are getting warmer, more acidic and choking on plastic waste. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and deforestation are suffocating our planet and putting billions of people at immediate and long-term risk, with many changes becoming irreversible. We are witnessing increasingly frequent and intense weather events and disasters. Montenegro is no exception, where we had an almost record number of forest fires this summer.
Where is the exit?
Five years ago, the Paris Agreement gave humanity a clear way out of this crisis, indicating that limiting the temperature increase to 1,5°C in this century is of crucial importance. Unfortunately, scientists warn us that we are already close to that threshold, which would mean reaching the point of no return.
To prevent this, the world needs to join forces around three critical aspects:
- First, mitigation - maintaining the maximum increase in temperature up to 1,5°C, ensuring the greater ambition of national governments to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions.
- Secondly, adaptation - by increasing investment in adaptation from the current 21% to at least 50% of the total international financing of the fight against climate change.
- Third, financing - reaching agreement on an implementation plan worth US$100 billion per year to improve access to finance and progress in carbon markets.
The responsibility for this ambitious plan lies with everyone, but primarily with state governments. It is the leaders who bear the responsibility for taking urgent steps to reduce emissions, mobilize finance, increase resilience and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Along the way, governments can and should rely heavily on the United Nations as a strong partner, convenor and sincere facilitator that ensures dialogue among statesmen, in order to jointly arrive at an effective climate response. This is exactly what the United Nations is doing. We gathered world leaders, leading experts and scientists, activists, as well as corporate leaders to the UN climate conference in Glasgow, so that everyone could join forces in the fight against climate change.
It's about making decisions
Montenegro's commitment to the fight against climate change is unquestionable, which is also clear from its recent commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030, for which it is collecting evidence and data with the support of UNDP. There is no doubt, however, that in Montenegro there is potential for further reduction of emissions in the energy, transport and industry sectors.
Like many countries with low emissions, Montenegro has a low contribution to global temperature rise. Despite this, it must face the consequences of climate change through an undesirable domino effect on human well-being, health, the environment and the economy. That's why we need to focus equally on adaptation and building resilience.
The extended hand of the UN to Montenegro
The largest part of the climate response will take place, without a doubt, in the economic sector, and experience tells us that the profitability of investing in climate-smart solutions exceeds the initial costs. The National Climate Change Adaptation Plan of Montenegro, which was developed with the help of UNDP and financed through the Global Climate Fund, represents the basis for smart investments in adaptation.
Another huge potential is young people. We know that young people in Montenegro have strong ambitions to do their part and we should offer them the opportunity to realize those ambitions. A recent UNDP survey shows that three out of four young people are ready to change their lifestyle habits, including daily walking, reducing waste production, recycling and rationalizing the use of water and electricity. It is high time that we take advantage of their willingness.
Through support to small and medium-sized enterprises, in cooperation with local administrations, the UNOPS agency takes care that both parties are informed about environmental protection and that they understand that greening does not mean only installing solar panels.
Sustainable solutions within climate action also refer to long-term, strategic investments in people's health. The painful lesson we learned from the covid crisis is the importance of adaptation. The WHO states that strategic investments in integrated public health and primary care systems, as well as in advanced digital systems, are necessary to deliver on the post-Covid-19 promise of providing safe and effective health services accessible to all.
A recent analysis of climate risks from a child's perspective shows that almost every child in the world is at risk of at least one climate or environmental hazard, such as floods, cyclones, infectious diseases, lead pollution, heat waves and water scarcity. Air pollution is the biggest threat, as it is estimated that one billion children are exposed to extremely high levels of air pollution. In the coming period, UNICEF will provide support for the involvement of Montenegrin children and adolescents in solving the problem of air pollution and other climate changes in the country.
But while we focus on the work ahead in Montenegro, we must also be aware of what is happening around us. UNHCR warns us that the effects of climate change are making life difficult for people who are already among the most vulnerable in the world, including refugees. Drought and extreme weather phenomena will definitely encourage a global race for resources, and have a huge impact on forced displacement, which will certainly have strong implications for our region and Montenegro.
Every contribution counts
By now, it should be clear to all countries that the old development model, based on fossil fuels, represents a death sentence for their economies and our planet. We need decarbonisation now, in every sector and in every country. We need to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. We need to tax polluters much more. We need to put a real price on carbon dioxide emissions and direct those funds to building resilient infrastructure and sustainable jobs.
The United Nations was founded 76 years ago to build a consensus for action against the greatest threats facing humanity. But we've never faced a crisis like this—a truly existential crisis that, if not properly addressed, threatens the future of all humanity. More than ever, the world needs solidarity and a truly collective response to the deafening alarm bells of climate change. And immediately.
Why is the contribution of a small country like Montenegro so important for joint climate action? The answer is simple: because, more than ever, the world needs positive examples of true transformation that can make a visible difference. Montenegro, which is now planning a rapid economic recovery and the creation of new opportunities for its citizens, has exceptional potential for building a green future, with green jobs and a green economy. That is why I am convinced that Montenegro can and will become a model for the rest of the world on its green path to the future - it just needs to seize this historic opportunity, and immediately.
It is the author resident coordinator of the UN in Montenegro
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