Ban Ki-moon urges G20 leaders to ratify Paris Agreement

With Barack Obama and Xi Jinping ratifying the Paris Agreement, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged other leaders to accelerate their countries' ratification process "so we can turn the aspirational Paris into the transforming climate action the world so urgently wants."

Time to take climate action to next level : UN chief, Ban Ki-moon

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged the world's nations to "take climate action to the next level," two weeks after 175 governments signed the historic Paris Agreement on climate change in New York.

‘Investing in forests is an insurance policy for the planet,’ says UN chief

On the International Day of Forests, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on governments, businesses, civil society and other partners to adopt holistic policies and practices to protect, restore and sustain healthy forests.

Marking World Wildlife Day, UN calls for global actions to save planet’s most iconic species

 UN, 3 March 2016 – “Time is running out” to end wildlife poaching that threatens some of the world’s most iconic species, such as elephants, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as the United Nations marked World Wildlife Day.

UN chief urges world leaders to reach compromise on climate change

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Sunday called on world leaders to step up their efforts to eliminate their differences in order to reach an agreement in Paris in late November on tackling the climate challenge for the global community.

UN chief urges action on climate change

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Bolivia at the Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and the Defence of Life, said that the subject of the conference was both "important and timely."

Ban Ki-moon welcomes joint China-US announcement on measures to tackle climate change

UN, 25 September 2015 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has commended the joint announcement made today by the Governments of China and the United States on the significant steps each country is aiming to take to address climate change.

Countries urged to submit climate action plans ahead of UN conference in Paris

UN, 17 September 2015 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is eager to get countries to submit as soon as possible their action plans that will form the basis of the new universal climate change agreement to be adopted in December in Paris, a senior United Nations official dealing with the issue said today.

On World Day, UN urges global resolve to 'appreciate, protect and restore' Earth's oceans

UN,  8 June 2015 – Although the world's oceans are vast, their capacity to withstand damage caused by human activity is limited, compromising their critical contribution to the future of sustainable development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today as the United Nations kicked-off its celebrations for the 2015 edition of World Oceans Day.

UN chief sees biodiversity key to sustainable development (International Day for Biological Diversity)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday called on everyone to recommit to global action to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, for people and for our planet, saying that biodiversity is essential to sustainable development and eradicating poverty.

‘It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime’ UN proclaims on World Wildlife Day

UN,  3 March 2015 – Illegal wildlife trade undermines rule of law, degrades ecosystems and severely hampers the efforts of rural communities striving to sustainably manage their natural resources, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as the United Nations marked World Wildlife Day.

UN chief hails deal on climate change in Lima

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Sunday hailed the outcome of the climate conference in Lima, Peru, praising delegates for setting the groundwork for a more conclusive agreement to be reached in 2015.

'Leaders must act', urges Ban, as new UN report warns man's impact on climate may soon be 'irreversible'

UN, 2 November 2014 – Citing “clear and growing” human influence on the climate system, a United Nations report issued today has warned that if left unchecked, climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems.

Echoing that dire warning, UN Secretary-General Ban-moon said that if the world maintains its “business as usual” attitude about climate change, the opportunity to keep temperature rise below the internationally agreed target of 2 degrees Celsius, “will slip away within the next decade.”

Financial sector to help mobilize $200 billion to fight climate change in developing countries

UN,  23 September 2014 – Governments, investors and financial institutions today pledged to mobilize $200 billion by the end of next year for low-carbon programmes in developing countries, giving a significant boost to the United Nations goal of reaching $100 billion annually by 2020.

“This will serve as a catalyst in finalizing a universal and meaningful agreement at Paris on climate change in 2015,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he hosted the largest ever summit of world leaders on climate change at UN Headquarters in New York to prepare the ground for a global accord at a summit in the French capital in December next year.

UN chief 'adopts' lion cub to support efforts against wildlife trafficking

UN,  28 June 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today adopted a lion cub in Nairobi National Park as a sign of support for efforts against the trafficking of animals around the world, following a week of high-level United Nations discussions on the environment.

“I adopted this lion cub with the hope that all human beings and animals can live in peace and harmony,” Mr. Ban told reporters in the Kenyan capital. “Human beings should know how to live harmoniously with our Mother Nature.”

Mr. Ban also said he adopted the six-month old cub, whose Kiswahili name Tumaini means “hope”, to show solidarity for the preservation efforts of the Kenyan people, and as a token of his concern for the Kenya Wildlife Service and park rangers.

Ban Ki-Moon advirtió sobre consumo de los recursos y su impacto ambiental

Esta semana, se ha reunido en Nairobi (capital de Kenia) la primera Asamblea de las Naciones Unidas para el Medioambiente (UNEA), para constituir el máximo organismo medioambiental creado por la ONU en su historia.

En la clausura del encuentro, el secretario general de la ONU, Ban Ki-moon, lanzó un llamamiento en cuanto a la insostenibilidad en el consumo actual de los recursos, señalando que "el aire que respiramos, el agua que bebemos y la tierra en la que crecen nuestros alimentos son parte de un ecosistema sujeto cada vez a una mayor presión por el crecimiento poblacional”.

UN officials spotlight vital role of seafarers in global trade, transport

UN, 25 June 2014 – Seaborne trade is the engine room of the global economy, senior United Nations officials declared today, marking the Day of the Seafarer by calling on people everywhere to recognize the seafarers who, with quiet dedication, keep the wheels of the world in motion.

Today marks the fourth Seafarer’s Day, which aims to promote full appreciation for the work of seafarers and their role in modern societies. The event underlines the importance of this type of job and stresses the challenges that seafarers face on a daily basis.

"One planet, one ocean – together, we must protect them", urges UN on World Oceans Day

UN,  8 June 2014 – To commemorate World Oceans Day, the United Nations family is encouraging the international community to reflect on the multiple benefits of oceans and commit to keeping them healthy and productive for current and future generations.

“We have to ensure that oceans continue to meet our needs without compromising those of future generations,” stressed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message marking the Day, adding “their depths hold current and future solutions to humanity's energy needs.”

"Raise your voice, not the sea level," urges UN on World Environment Day

 UN, 5 June 2014 – Barbados, a small Caribbean island at the cutting edge of the fight against climate change, will be hosting this year's World Environment Day, leading United Nations-wide efforts to draw attention to the plight of the world's small islands potentially in peril of being lost to sea-level rise.

“On World Environment Day, millions of individuals, community groups and businesses from around the world take part in local projects –from clean up campaigns to art exhibits to tree-planting drives,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day, marked every year on 05 June.

UN officials hail ‘significant’ move by US to curb power plant emissions

UN,  2 June 2014 – United Nations officials today welcomed the initiative announced by President Barack Obama to limit emissions from power plants in the United States, voicing their hope that it will spur other countries to take concrete action to combat climate change.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the initiative “a significant step toward reducing global greenhouse gas emissions that are disrupting the climate, exacerbating extreme weather patterns, and threatening human health, sustainable economic growth and development.”