French President Emmanuel Macron has replied in a letter to Hungarian counterpart János Áder, thanking the President of the Republic of Hungary for his proposals on fighting climate change and welcoming his dedication to the issue.
Áder wrote a letter to Macron in August, proposing to expand the Paris climate agreement by involving sub-national organizations (this is a theme that the president also discussed at length in an exclusive interview with Hungary Today). In his message, Áder asked Macron to prepare the conditions for such organizations to have an effective role at this year’s international climate summit.
Áder said then that combating climate change was in the interest of all countries and peoples. His proposal has, in the past, received the support of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
In his reply, Macron said that he agreed with Áder’s proposal, and also urged a fast and effective implementation of the climate accord. The recently-elected French president also expressed his view that the resoluteness of action on climate change also depends on the involvement of civil society, including sub-national organizations.
Macron said that during the upcoming Paris summit on December 12, a roundtable conference will be held on the role of sub-national organizations in the implementation of the agreement. The French president also added that, thanks to Áder’s advocacy, Hungary is at the forefront of efforts in the fight against climate change.
Áder Invited to Paris Climate Summit
This week held additional climate-related developments for the Hungarian President, as the chiefs of the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as Macron himself, have jointly invited Áder to attend next month’s Paris climate summit.
In their letter addressed to the Hungarian President, Antonio Guterres, Jim Yong Kim and Emmanuel Macron extended an invitation to participate in the summit which will be hosted by Paris on December 12th, the two-year anniversary of the landmark climate agreement’s adoption in the French capital in 2015 (you can read the letter in full here).
In the letter, Guterres, Macron, and Kim expressed their hop that they “will have the pleasure and honor” of Áder’s participation in the Summit, which is meant “to foster a high-level political impetus on climate action and to intensify the mobilization of all actors”. The letter acknowledged that “Climate action requires the full mobilization of the international community,” adding that “The United Nations, the World Bank Group, and major partners from all over the world have agreed to accelerate our collective effort and gather all our energies to tackle climate disruption.”
In language that reflects the Hungarian president’s own views on how best to handle the crisis of climate change, the three leaders also wrote that
International organizations, States, cities and local governments, private sectors, scientists and entrepreneurs, foundations and non-governmental organizations will strengthen our ambition and accelerate the implementation of concrete projects and innovative solutions to our future.
In May of 2015, Áder joined former US vice president Al Gore’s initiative to garner the support of one billion signatures worldwide in support of the Paris summit, in order to encouraging world leaders to join forces against climate change.”
He signed the Paris Climate Agreement on Hungary’s behalf at the UN Headquarters in New York on April 22nd, 2016.
Hungary’s parliament ratified the accord in a unanimous vote of 160 lawmakers on May 24th of the same year.
The main pledge of the Paris Agreement is to keep global temperature rise at below 2 degrees Celsius. One of the key components of the agreement is financing, which encourages all countries to take part with the widest possible involvement of private capital.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has been one of the Hungarian government’s chief points of criticism of an American leader who they have otherwise been quick to praise.
Upcoming Visit to Jordan
Before his trip to Paris next month, though President Áder has several other international engagements, the most immediate of which is his upcoming five-day official visit to Jordan, which will begin this coming Sunday, according to MTI.
While in Jordan, Áder is scheduled to hold talks with King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki, Senate President Faisal al-Fayez, and Parliamentary Speaker Atef Tarawneh.
The president will also address the opening ceremony of the 8th World Science Forum (WSF) and visit the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.
Áder’s visit to Jordan will be the first by a Hungarian president since 2008. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited the Hashemite Kingdom in 2013.
Via MTI, Hungary Matters, and keh.hu
Image via MTI