Climate Change is Focus of Ban Ki-moon's US Visit
New York, Oct 25 2009 11:10PM
Climate change was the focus today as Ban Ki-moon kicked off his first visit to Seattle as United Nations Secretary-General, setting out to see firsthand the efforts of United States citizens, communities and businesses to protect the environment.
There are just 42 days left until countries meet in
Copenhagen to 'seal the deal' on a new global pact to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, which
Mr. Ban has called "the defining challenge of our
era."
Today in Seattle, the Secretary-General is
slated to attend an event for children as part of the
Shrinking Bigfoot programme, an interactive project
sponsored by Seattle City Light to help young people learn
about climate change and environmental issues.
Launched in November 2008, the initiative focuses on
empowering children to shrink their carbon footprints with
easy, everyday actions such as turning off the lights and
recy
cling.
Mr. Ban is also scheduled to meet today
with local leaders, civil society groups, the private sector
and community representatives to discuss climate change and
environmental and economic sustainability.
In
addition, he will call for renewed multilateralism and greater engagement on
the major challenges of the day, including for climate
change and for an agreement in Copenhagen, when he addresses
the local chapter of the UN Association of the US
(UNA-USA).
ENDS