UN General Assembly
2017

While the relationship between peace, human rights, security and inclusive development is clear and undeniable, it is also increasingly obvious that combating climate change is a crucial pillar of that edifice. That is because the destruction of ecosystems and the natural disasters linked to climate change directly and cruelly affect the most vulnerable people; because a scarcity of natural resources is at the heart of many current conflicts; because the new paradigm of sustainability drastically changes our previous notion of economic and social development; and because — and pardon me for mentioning the obvious — if we destroy the planet, there will be no sense in talking about peace, security or development. Fighting climate change will therefore continue to take up much of the debate now and in the future on international actions and initiatives. That is why seven of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are directly related to environmental issues. It is key that much of the our Governments’ domestic efforts should address that issue.