Brussels lights up Town Hall to highlight need for climate action

As European leaders attending a UN Climate Summit urged accelerated action to fight climate change, the city of Brussels lit up the Town Hall of the Grand Place in green in a symbolic gesture of support.

European leaders, including German Chancelleor Angela Merkel, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and French President Emmanuel Macron, urged the acceleration of action to fight climate change at the day-long Climate summit hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at UN Headquarters in  New York.

``We have heard the wake-up call of our young people,’’ Merkel said, pledging to increase Germany’s financial contribution to fight climate change. ``Europe needs to do more,’’ the French president said, encouraging countries to act more quickly and stressing the need to ensure adequate contributions to the Green Climate Fund to help countries adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

UN Secretary-General Guterres convened the summit to underscore the urgent nature of the climate issue, to respond to the demands of young people for action and accountability and to provide countries a forum to announce increased commitments among others.

``We need to accelerate our emissions reductions,’’ said the Finnish leader whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Council. ``I hope that we make history today.’’

More to come