DUBAI - Catherine Colonna, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, has called on the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to consider COP28 as the decisive moment in collective action to keep global temperatures below 1.5°C, to avoid a global crisis, calling for the continuation of international efforts and initiatives while there is still time to act.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) meetings, held as part of COP28 at Expo Dubai, Colonna stressed the importance of pushing ahead with what was accomplished, starting with the Paris Agreement at COP21 in Paris, France, up until the ongoing COP28 in the UAE, highlighting the urgency of achieving carbon neutrality and increasing investment in new and renewable energy, as well as nuclear energy.

The French Minister expressed her hope that international efforts would be increased to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and limit the increase in global temperatures, noting that her country strongly supported during the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund as one of the most important tools to advance climate action.

At the same time, countries must make more efforts to reduce carbon emissions to achieve the ambitious goal of the climate summit, she concluded.