Thank you, Prime Minister Kishida,
In 2019 I had the opportunity to visit several nations in the Pacific, where climate change is stealing homes, and stealing hope.
In Tuvalu, I met a young boy called Falou, who told me that he had been discussing with his friends what they would do if Tuvalu sinks.
Some said they would leave, and some had decided that they would sink with Tuvalu.
Those words disturbed and saddened me, because a child of that age should be having fun with his friends, not worrying about whether he will still have a home when he grows up.
The climate crisis is a health crisis.
The most pressing reasons for urgent climate action are the impacts not in the future, but right now, on health.
The climate crisis is fuelling outbreaks and contributing to higher rates of heart disease, cancer and asthma in children.
I have three requests.
First, we urge you to honour and accelerate your commitments to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy.
Second, we seek your commitment and support for building climate resilient and climate friendly health systems, at home and around the world.
And third, we urge you to walk the talk, by fulfilling the financial commitments you have made to support developing countries and SIDS to combat the climate crisis – the $100 billion dollars a year that Ursula indicated earlier.
I thank you.