Dear delegates, dear colleagues,

In September 2019, the United Nations Development Programme answered the call of the UN Secretary-General to do all we could to help countries to deliver the Paris Agreement. Through this call, UNDP’s Climate Promise was born.

Unbeknownst to us, the world was on the brink of a global health and economic crisis, reversing years of progress on poverty, hunger, health care, and the fight against climate change.

Despite the unprecedented impacts in all corners of the world, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic presents a historic opportunity to re-shape our economies and set countries on more sustainable, resilient, and net zero emission pathways.

UNDP’s Climate Promise, the world’s largest offer of support to countries to enhance their pledges under the Paris Agreement, is on the ground in over 118 countries across the globe.

We are also working closely with countries to integrate a low-carbon transition and risk-based approach into all recovery strategies and help them to: not only recover better but also increase their climate ambition.

But we know governments can’t act alone. They need the whole society with them. Through our Peoples Climate Vote, the world’s largest poll on climate, we are amplifying the voices of people -on the climate policies they want to see enacted. This helps policymakers to know exactly how people see a better future.

As a core partner since 2019, UNDP is proud to support the Regional Climate Weeks as an important platform for all stakeholders to join forces to ramp up climate ambition and climate action now.

As we mark the launch of the Regional Climate Weeks through the Regional Roundtables, UNDP looks forward to the discussions that will be held over the coming months. Let us keep building the momentum toward Glasgow - to ensure a successful outcome: for planet and people.

Thank you!