Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Remarks at the National Center for Atmospheric Reasearch

It is a great pleasure to visit this cutting-edge facility. Climate change has been at the top of my priority agenda since I took office. It relates to nearly every aspect of the work of the United Nations. That is why it has been discussed at the highest levels, including by the Security Council. It is a humanitarian issue, a development issue, and an issue of security and stability.

The reason climate change has risen on the global agenda is because the facts don’t lie. Our world is warming, and our greenhouse gas emissions are a significant cause. We know this thanks to you – scientists and researchers studying the data and refusing to be swayed by politics, sceptics and interest groups. The reports you produce – and in particular the contribution you have made to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – have helped make the case that climate change is a clear and present danger. No country, no community is immune.

Increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events tell the story in the most graphic way. Hurricanes and tornadoes, floods and wildfires are not new phenomena, but when each year sees new records set, we know something is amiss. But we need people like you, and institutions like this, to analyze the trends, sort the data and produce useful information for forming policy. Your work makes my job easier.
I am committed to mobilizing political will at the highest levels to address this global challenge.