UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave the following address at the close of COP21 Action Day in Paris:

Ban Ki-Moon Closing Address at COP21 Action Day

“I thank President Hollande for convening this gathering, and for France’s engagement as one of the co-leaders of the Lima-Paris Action Agenda, along with Peru, the United Nations and the UNFCCC.

I have been looking forward to Action Day because it is about the solutions we so urgently need. Today is about action by all sectors of society. It is about innovation and imagination; collaboration and partnership. It is about our collective future, and it is about hope.

Today, as never before, the stars are aligned in favour of strong, concerted action on climate change. The pace of climate action is quickening.

Governments, cities, the private sector, investors, and the public at large increasingly understand the grave risks posed by climate change.

They also see…