Ban Ki-moon and Robert Redford address UN General Assembly on climate change

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, warned on Monday that a proposed global climate deal due to be signed in Paris in December must “demonstrate solidarity with the poorest and most vulnerable countries”.

Mr Ban (pictured) was speaking at a high level climate change meeting attended by the 193-member states of the UN General Assembly.

The UN is aiming to raise $100 billion per year by 2020 to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing nations and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Ban said: “Climate change impacts are accelerating…Weather-related disasters are more frequent and more intense. Everyone is affected – but not all equally”

Ban said since 2009, the number of national climate laws and policies has nearly doubled, with three quarters of the world’s annual emissions now covered by national targets.

Ban added: “The world’s three biggest economies – China, the European Union (EU) and the United States – have placed their bets on low-carbon, climate-resilient growth.”

Robert Redford, the Hollywood icon and a relentless environmental campaigner, addressed delegates  as “a father, grandfather, and also a concerned citizen – one of billions around the world who are urging you to take action now on climate change.”

Redford added: “I am an actor by trade, but an activist by nature, someone who has always believed that we must find the balance between what we develop for our survival, and what we preserve for our survival. Your mission is as simple as it is daunting. Save the world before it’s too late. We see the effects all around us–from drought and famine in Africa, and heat waves in South Asia, to wildfires across North America, devastating hurricanes and crippling floods here in New York.”