Rising to the Challenges of Climate Change – the Third National Communication is Launched Right on Time!
Today saw the launch of the country’s Third National Communication on Climate Change.
This country is the first in the Western Balkans region to have completed its Third National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Developed with extensive technical assistance from UNDP, this important document spells out the next key steps to be taken in all key sectors of the economy and society—at national and local level—to prepare for, adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Over 200 people attended the launch, including representatives from a broad range of ministries, NGOs and the private sector, as well as numerous national and international experts.
In his opening statement at the launch, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski praised the timely completion of the report and reaffirmed that coordinated action on climate change is a top priority for the country. “This country is one of the most vulnerable in the region to climate change,” said Pesevski, “And action to prepare and adapt is therefore of crucial importance. Addressing climate change requires innovative ecological approaches and technologies to ensure sustainable economic growth and to boost competitiveness and generate employment opportunities.”
Speaking at the event, Deputy Environment Minister Stevo Temelkovski welcomed the National Communication as: “A comprehensive and detailed analysis which for the first time covers areas such as tourism and cultural heritage and the socio-economic vulnerability of the population to climate change.”
The Third National Communication is the outcome of two years of combined efforts, coordinated and assisted by UNDP’s Country Office, which worked closely with all the relevant ministries, NGOs, as well as with stakeholders from the private sector and national and international experts.
UNDP’s assistance in producing this Communication is part of its decade-long commitment and in-depth experience in helping the country assess and respond to the threats posed by climate change.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Alessandro Fracassetti stated (full speech): “This Third National Communication comes at a time when international negotiations on climate change are intensifying in the build-up to what we hope will be a meaningful, universal agreement in Paris in 2015.”
Fracassetti explained that the proposed Paris 2015 summit will provide an opportunity for every country to present the policies and measures it intends to follow in order to prepare for climate change and to state how it will contribute to global efforts to ensure that increases in global temperatures remain below two degrees Celsius.
“With this Communication in hand, the country is fully prepared to make a valuable contribution in Paris and thereafter,” added Fracassetti, “since the document provides clear directions on what needs to be done at both national and local level to address the challenge of climate change challenge in all important areas.”
All participants at the launch agreed that what is most important now is immediate joint action to meet the goals set out in the Third National Communication. This is not only necessary to ensure our efforts are coordinated to provide a sustainable future for the country, but will also make it easier to access all available national and international funding.