BERLIN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,000 government delegates and other stakeholders gathered Monday in Bonn, Germany, for the opening of the UN June Climate Meetings, with climate resilience, finance and the implementation of previous climate commitments high on the agenda.
Known as the 64th session of the Subsidiary Bodies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or SB64, the annual June meetings are expected to advance technical and political work ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled to take place in November in Antalya, Türkiye.
Speaking at the opening of the meetings, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said tackling the global climate crisis is "the hardest -- but most important -- thing humanity has ever tried to do together."
"It is worth doing, because we have no choice. Every economy and population depends on it," he said.
Stiell said the Bonn meetings should advance key issues, including the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a core component of the Paris Agreement that aims to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Additionally, the Bonn meetings will also discuss how to advance implementation of outcomes from the first global stocktake at COP28, the development of a just transition mechanism, and climate finance.
A just transition mechanism refers to ensuring that the shift to a low-carbon economy is fair and inclusive, particularly for workers and communities most affected. Climate finance involves funding, mainly from developed to developing countries, to support both emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
Stiell warned that continued dependence on fossil fuels would expose economies and communities to inflation, energy insecurity and climate disasters. "We must go further, faster: delivering fully on our Paris obligations and on plans made under the Agreement," he said.
The meetings are scheduled to run through June 18.
