The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit

The briefing outlines three critical objectives for national leaders at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit to align global efforts with the 1.5 degrees C warming limit. First, leaders are urged to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050, following examples like Suriname and Bhutan. Second, they must prepare to submit more ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in 2020. Third, the document calls for a shift from 'brown' to 'green' financing, specifically halting coal plant funding and increasing contributions to the Green Climate Fund to support developing nations. The text emphasizes that investing $1.8 trillion in climate resilience from 2020 to 2030 could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits.

• To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, all countries should commit to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While Suriname and Bhutan already absorb more than they emit, 15 other nations—including the UK, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Fiji, and the Marshall Islands—have already proposed or adopted net-zero legislation.
• National leaders, particularly those from the largest emitting countries, must prepare to increase the ambition of their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement by 2020 to align with the 1.5 degrees C target. France, India, and China have already indicated they will update their commitments to reflect their "highest possible ambition."
• A transition to a low-carbon development pathway can provide economic advantages; for instance, research in Indonesia indicates that such a shift could result in an average annual GDP growth of 6% until 2045, surpassing current economic growth projections.
• Global financial systems must shift from "brown" to "green" financing, which includes stopping the funding and construction of coal plants. Additionally, developed nations should increase support for the Green Climate Fund, with Germany, Norway, the UK, and France leading by doubling their pledges.
• Investing $1.8 trillion globally in climate resilience between 2020 and 2030 is estimated to generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits, according to the Global Commission on Adaptation.

APA

Mountford, H. (2019). The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-key-tasks-world-leaders-un-climate-action-summit

Chicago

Mountford, Helen. The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit. World Resources Institute, 2019. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-key-tasks-world-leaders-un-climate-action-summit.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mountford |first1=Helen |title=The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=17 September 2019 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/3-key-tasks-world-leaders-un-climate-action-summit |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mountford2019key, author = {Mountford, Helen}, title = {{The 3 Key Tasks for World Leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/3-key-tasks-world-leaders-un-climate-action-summit}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }