UN chief calls for low-carbon pathway investment at Davos

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on leaders from governments and the business community to invest in the low-carbon pathway.

Addressing at a session titled "Tackling climate, development and growth" at the ongoing World Economic Forum, Ban said sustainable development and climate action are two sides of one coin.

Climate action will contribute to many of the Sustainable Development Goals, which can be a new investment pipeline on issues that are essential for tackling climate change, he said.

"One key transformation for the post-2015 era will be to make growth more inclusive and green," he added.

In the next 15 years until 2030, the world will make massive investments in new infrastructure in cities, energy and agriculture, he said, adding if this spending is directed towards low-carbon goods, technologies and services, mankind will be on a way towards more sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient societies.

He urged finance ministers and leaders of governments and the business community to choose wisely and invest in the low-carbon pathway, both in their domestic budgets as well as in positions they take at the G20 and the meetings of international financial institutions.

"The low-carbon calculation must be factored into every aspect of our planning for the next decades and beyond," he said.

The World Economic Forum's 2015 annual meeting is scheduled from Jan. 21 to 24 in Davos. More than 40 heads of state and governments attended the meeting. Endit