Tackling climate change is a long-term strategic process that requires political leadership and broad public consensus based on scientific evidence and experience, as well as the application of innovative approaches and the latest technological advances. This is what Head of State Rumen Radev said at a meeting on 30 July with the visiting Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Jim Skea and the President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Abdulla Al Mandous. The two are in the country to attend the 61st Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which Bulgaria is hosting. Nearly 500 delegates from 150 member countries were expected in Sofia.
President Radev highlighted the key contribution of the organisation, which is part of the UN structure, to the conduct of scientific research and assessment of climate change data, which contribute to the development of effective policies to address climate challenges on a global scale. The interlocutors agreed that the frequency and intensity of calamities such as floods, droughts and wildfires are increasing, which requires not only adequate public policies but also measures to raise people's awareness of climate risks. They were unanimous that climate change leads to changes in all aspects of social and economic life. This requires a complete rethinking of the vision for the development of the economy, but it also requires that society be informed about the consequences. "Young people must be given the necessary knowledge already in the educational process", the president said.
The prospects for further cooperation, including in the framework of the upcoming 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, where this country will be represented by President Radev, were discussed.
Jim Skea pointed out that Bulgaria's hosting of the 61st Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirms Bulgaria's sustainable role as an active participant in global scientific efforts in the field of climate change. The President of the World Meteorological Organization, Abdulla Al Mandous, noted the good cooperation with the Bulgarian scientific community in the activities of the international organisation and expressed readiness to build on the joint commitments in this area.
Read opening remarks from Dr Al Mandous, President of WMO at 61st Session of IPCC
