COP26 and Honduras

The British Ambassador for Honduras, Nick Whittingham, congratulated the Honduran delegation participating at COP26 and encouraged them to achieve a successful outcome.

Ambassador Whittingham said:

The most important conference of our lifetime is underway in the UK. It is a conference that will likely determine what type of world we pass on to future generations.

Success will ensure our children and grandchildren can prosper. Failure could spell disaster for life as we know it. Known as COP-26 for short, the United Nations Climate Conference is one of the last opportunities countries will have to come together and solve mankind’s greatest challenge – a challenge for its very survival.

Six years ago the world saw the birth of the Paris Agreement, which was a milestone in global efforts to address climate change. It resulted in a binding agreement, uniting all nations to a common cause.

But it was just the beginning. And yesterday the world began to converge on the great city of Glasgow for the COP26 the next and very crucial step on the path to preventing irreversible and catastrophic climate change.

Extreme weather can be seen across the world. This summer we have seen devastating floods in central Europe and China, raging wildfires in North America. A year ago, Honduras was hit by two ferocious hurricanes leaving significant economic and human damage.

Honduras, as a vulnerable country, has a very important voice and its example can lead others to take important steps. Many climate-vulnerable countries are leading the way in reducing emissions.

I congratulate Honduras for submitting early this year its updated NDC. Until 2030, Honduras is committed to carrying out adaptation and mitigation actions in the face of climate change. The country will aim to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 16%, restoring 1.3 million hectares of forests and reducing firewood consumption by 39%.

Therefore, I congratulate the Honduran delegation, led by President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is in Glasgow to join forces on all these issues. Honduras has shown important leadership in the fight against climate change and I encourage the country to work constructively with partners to achieve a successful COP26.