Poland ready to take its share of responsibility for climate: president

Speaking at the official opening of a major United Nations conference in southern Poland, President Andrzej Duda said that his country was "ready to take its share of responsibility for international security," including in terms of climate policy.

Duda also said that Poland, now marking the centennial of recovering its independence, was “actively working for peaceful cooperation between states, based on the principles of observance of international law, equality, solidarity and mutual respect.”

Thousands of decision makers from around the world have flocked to the southern Polish city of Katowice for a major UN climate change conference that opened on Monday.

Duda was among speakers taking part in a high-level panel discussion as the conference got under way, alongside officials including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as COP24, runs in Katowice until December 14.

The summit aims to adopt a roadmap for putting into practice the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which seeks to slow climate change, public broadcaster Polish Radio has reported.

On Monday, heads of state attending the summit were expected to be asked to adopt a Declaration on Just Transition drafted by the Polish government to ensure a fair and solidarity-based transformation amid efforts to protect the climate while maintaining economic development and jobs, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.

Polish Deputy Environment Minister Michał Kurtyka, on Sunday took over the presidency of the UN climate summit on behalf of his country.

While in Katowice on Monday, Duda was expected to meet international leaders including Slovenian President Borut Pahor, Switzerland's Alain Berset and Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari, the PAP news agency reported.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP/Polish Radio