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Climate change is about "the wellbeing of people,” says new climate secretariat chief

Climate change is not a “vague concept” but reality, and it is having an impact on people everywhere.

That’s the opinion of Patricia Espinosa Cantellano who has been appointed Executive Director of the UN climate change secretariat, the UNFCCC.

The veteran diplomat from Mexico was in Paris last December for the signing of the landmark international treaty which seeks to limit global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

“Growing determination” builds to address climate change

The world is showing a “growing determination” to address climate change, according to one of the UN’s leading experts on the subject.

Christiana Figueres is the head of the UN climate change secretariat (UNFCCC).

In December, the international community agreed a wide-ranging package aimed at tackling climatic issues.

Basma Bitar-Baghal has been speaking with Ms Figueres at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where experts are discussing clean energy and water, among other issues.

Duration: 3’38”

UN Photo/Logan Abassi

Ending poverty and addressing climate change “one and the same”

Tackling climate change is the only way to address poverty, according to the UN’s leading expert on climate issues.

In fact, Christiana Figueres, head of the UN climate secretariat, UNFCCC, sees these two global concerns as “one and the same.”

In just a few weeks’ time world leaders will be meeting in Paris to agree a new treaty aimed at limiting global warming to below two degrees Celsius.

Ms Figueres believes more countries now recognize that taking action on climate change is in their self-interest.