Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. The following countries align with this statement: North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, Ukraine^*, the Republic of Moldova^*, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Armenia.

Mr. President,

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time. During the last two weeks, parties gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss further ambition and action in this critical decade to deliver on the Paris Agreement and keep the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C within reach. Implementing the Sharm el-Sheikh outcomes is of utmost importance now and we stand ready to work with all stakeholders in this regard.

The European Union is at the forefront of climate action and is leading by example. Two thirds of the European citizens are taking climate conscious decisions on a daily basis. We are committed to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 and we are the first major economy to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Both targets are enshrined in the EU Climate Law and are legally binding.

We recognize the urgent need for scaling up action and support, including finance, technology and capacity-building, for the most vulnerable. The EU, its Member States and the European Investment Bank are the world's leading contributor of development assistance and the world's biggest public climate finance contributor, providing at least a third of the world's public climate finance. We are determined to continue working with other developed country Parties to swiftly implement the Climate Finance Delivery Plan: Meeting the US$100 Billion Goal and call upon other donors to also increase their climate finance contributions and deliver on their commitments. The EU looks forward to cooperate with other Parties to respond to the call of the Glasgow Climate Pact to collectively at least double the provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing countries from 2019 levels by 2025, while continuing to place a specific focus on the most vulnerable populations in countries and communities, particularly in the Least Developed Countries, and Small Island Developing States. Improving effectiveness of and access to adaptation finance is essential and we are ready to engage constructively with developing countries to address barriers and constraints limiting the access to adaptation.

Mr. President,

A challenge of that magnitude requires global solutions that can only be achieved through international cooperation and a strong multilateral approach. We consider the whole UN system, including UNIDO, to be key players in this regard.

We commend UNIDO’s participation at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). UNIDO conveyed an important message that the full implementation of the Paris Agreement will not be possible without the sustainable transformation of industry. UNIDO's activities in the field of environment and energy and related engagements in green hydrogen, circular economy, just energy transition and industry decarbonisation will help to transform industries from a major polluter to a leading provider of innovative climate solutions. They are of interest for the EU and we look into ways to cooperate in this regard.

We supported the Secretariat’s intention to prepare a UNIDO wide climate strategy and tabled a Resolution at the 19^th General Conference co-sponsored by 11 states from all regional groups. We welcome the launch of an inclusive and transparent consultation process and we encourage all member states to participate.  

Mr. President,

We believe a global just transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient and circular economy is a fundamental contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. With this in mind, the EU launched the ‘Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency”, established with the support of UNIDO and UNEP. Moreover, we commend UNIDO for organising the Global consultations on circular economy co-chaired by Austria and Costa Rica. In view of the 51^st session of the IDB in 2023, we stand ready to discuss with the Secretariat and colleagues from all regional groups ways to bring this process so that the needs of the developing states are best addressed.  

I thank you for your attention.

* Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, as well as potential Candidate Country Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.