The 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP20), included the topic “health” for the first time in the conference history, affirmed today Peru’s Environment minister, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal.
The gathering aimed at creating an agreement draft to engage member nations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On its last day the text document was agreed.
"The World Health Organization congratulated Peru because the topic health was included for the first time [in a such meeting],” the minister explained.
“In the previous 19 COP editions, the topic had been not addressed, [but] now health and climate change are included in the same debate," he stressed.
Agreements reached on: The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD), gender matters, long-term financing to fight climate change and a policy about education were underlined by the minister.
There are “concrete facts”, which complement the level of conscience that was increased during COP20, Pulgar-Vidal added.
"Before the conference began, over 80% of the population didn't know what COP meant, but today there is a high percentage [of people], who know what to do against climate change and that [COP] is a tool to define new joint actions in order to face it,” he declared.
(END) JCC/FHG/RGR/MVB