Above: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (UN Photo/E. Debebe)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The impacts of climate change are already being felt and it’s time to consider concrete actions before it’s too late, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said this week.

Ban, who was addressing the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi Ascent climate change conference, urged stakeholders to complete a “meaningful new climate agreement by 2015 that will rapidly reduce emissions and support resilience.”

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time. If we do not take urgent action, all our plans for increased global prosperity and security will be undone,” Ban said.
Ban was speaking ahead of his Climate Summit, which will be held in September in New York City.

“I am inviting Heads of State and Government, along with mayors and senior representatives from business, finance and civil society, to join a ‘race to the top,’” Ban said. “Change is in the air. Solutions exist. The race is on. It’s time to lead.”

The Caribbean is viewed to be one of the regions in the world that is most vulnerable to the potential impacts of global climate change.