French President Emmanuel Macron delivered his address at the ongoing COP27 conference in Egypt, he says the world should not sacrifice its climate commitments because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has not only brought the war to European soil but it has also brought uncertainty and tension to the world,” he says, bringing “difficulty upon difficulty” especially to the African continent and around the Mediterranean.
He said the Ukraine crisis – which came just a few months after the Covid pandemic – would lead many to say they have other priorities to focus on.
“But at the same time we see many states being affected by the consequences of the unravelling of the climate, and we must show that the climate emergency is well and truly here.”
He says the world’s climate commitments should not be sacrificed, especially for rich countries including France.
“We must continue to work on the mitigation front and we must transition our economies away from coal,” he says, adding that helping developing countries do this must also be a priority.