Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has called for "strong leadership and political ambition" at a global level to implement the Paris Agreement, speaking at a climate change conference in Beijing.
The head of state attended the second meeting of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ (New Silk Road) project and was on the environment and sustainable development panel.
The conference was opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Portugal’s António Guterres but the panel meeting was held behind closed doors.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa later defended that, "the right to a healthy environment is a fundamental right" and that it is necessary to "combine multilateral action with political dialogue" to preserve the planet for future generations, stressing that Portugal "fully supports the neutrality of carbon emissions by 2050."
"Climate change is the decisive issue of our time. It has been three years since the Paris Agreement, which set a new course for the global effort to combat climate change. We must implement this historic agreement," said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to the President of the Republic, the governments of the countries that signed the agreement should "develop national frameworks that allow multi-faceted cooperation, including with the private sector, civil society and partnerships with universities."
"I believe that technological advances - including non-fossil fuels and sustainable building materials together with advances in sustainable agriculture - will strengthen our efforts to limit climate change," he continued.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa praised Portugal's performance in this area, noting that currently more than half of the electricity consumed in the country is generated by renewable sources, "the third highest result in the European Union."
The head of state added that "Portugal fully supports the UN secretary-general's efforts to make climate change a priority on the international agenda" and "fully supports the 2030 agenda" for sustainable development.
Concluded on December 12, 2015, in the French capital, with the signing by representatives of 195 countries, the Paris Agreement aims only to limit global temperature rise by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement formally entered into force on November 4, 2016.
See also 'Portugal’s carbon emissions reach record high in 2017'
