High-Level Meeting on the Protection of the Global Climate for Present & Future

During his speech at the High-Level Meeting on the Protection of the Global Climate for Present & Future, Vice-Minister Kurtyka emphasised the need to take into account the social dimension of transition towards low-carbon economy. “This is crucial for social acceptance of change. Public policies aimed at reducing emissions will face social resistance and the implementing governments will run a considerable political risk if they are not accompanied by social security schemes for workers whose jobs will have been lost or transformed”, he explained. “For these reasons, the policy of Just Transition is a vital issue for governments, businesses and civil society organisations”, he said.

High-Level Event on Interlinkages between Water and Climate

The COP24 President spoke at a High-Level Event on Interlinkages between Water and Climate. As he explained, the secret to good water management lies in providing a desired quantity of water of the right quality at the right time and place. The observed and projected climate change may pose an immediate threat or enhance the risk for all components of this equation. “The increasing temperature, as well as fluctuations in the temporal and spatial distribution of precipitation will result in changes in water availability for residents, the environment and businesses alike. The role of decision-makers is to prevent the occurrence of such phenomena, limit their negative impact and prepare both citizens and economies for the changes”, he stressed.

Polish COP24 Presidency Briefing

During the visit to the United States, the Polish Presidency of COP24, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations, organised a meeting between Vice-Minister Michał Kurtyka and members of the diplomatic corps at the UN. The talks concerned the activities of the Polish Presidency of COP24 planned for 2019. The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Environment has announced that the 1st Electromobility Forum will be held in Poland in October. “The ambition behind the organisation of the Forum is supporting the development of electromobility by creating a platform for the exchange of knowledge and information on the implementation of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, as well as legal and IT solutions concerning this ecological mode of transport”, he said. “The Forum will also support the flow of ideas and solutions between the Partners of the initiative, electromobility companies, research centres, public administration institutions and the media”, he added.

Bilateral meetings

During his visit to New York, Michał Kurtyka attended a series of bilateral meetings on climate change activities and priorities of the Polish Presidency of COP24. The Vice-Minister held talks, among others, with UN Secretary General António Guterres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change Patricia Espionosa, Chile’s Minister of Environment Caroline Schmidt, Italy’s Minister of Environment Sergio Costa, Maldives’ Minister of Environment Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan and EarthLanka Youth Network’s Executive Director for Development and Communication Saffran Mihnar.