NEW YORK - “The six low-lying islands of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom live with the constant threat of sea level rise, drought and tropical hurricanes.” Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the 76th General Assembly of the United Nations. The statement was part of his speech on, among other things, “the disruptive effects of climate change”.
“This is no longer a theoretical doomsday scenario. For many it is now a harsh reality. We felt that this summer. Every part of the world has experienced extreme weather and devastating natural disasters that are clearly the result of human-induced climate change. The Kingdom of the Netherlands was not spared either,” said Rutte.
Prime Minister Rutte also indicated that the countries have to embrace climate action. And they need to do it fast. That is why it is more vital than ever that the COP26 summit which will take place in November succeeds. “Together, we must find a way to reduce harmful emissions to net zero by 2050. And we must keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees within reach. We cannot allow political tensions between countries to het in the way of achieving those goals. We cannot saddle our future generations with the problem,” said Rutte.
“And limiting emissions is not the only challenge. Climate adaptation is at least as important. Because the impact of climate change is already a threat - one we have to arm ourselves against now.”
The Premier indicated that for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, this is not new. The Netherlands has been battling the elements for centuries - from North Sea floods to Caribbean storms. “Climate adaptation is in our DNA. That is why we hosted the online Climate Adaptation Summit at the start of this year. An event which saw the launch of the Adaptation Agenda, which aims to turn words into deeds,” said the Dutch Prime Minister.
“The Kingdom of the Netherlands understands that we not only need to get our own house in order, but we also have to help others do the same.”
That is why the Netherlands is providing expertise and financial support to protect vulnerable areas against the elements. The Netherlands is increasing its public climate finance and supporting the United Nations’ call to spend at least half of it on adaptation. Rutte confirms that his country has spent almost 70 per cent of its public climate finance on adaption.
“Of course, it is not a matter of ‘either/or’. We need to step up our efforts on both adaptation and mitigation. And help each other to do so. We’re all facing the same storm, but we’re not all in the same boat. That means developed countries have a responsibility to help developing countries take the necessary measures. Only together can we turn things around,” says Premier Mark Rutte.
