President Klaus Iohannis said in New York on Wednesday that climate change is a global challenge and pointed out that Romania’s national strategy on this issue was designed to form a low-carbon economy capable of integrating climate policies through smart growth.

“Climate change is undoubtedly a global challenge – from water scarcity and food insecurity to rising levels of seas and oceans. I thank the Secretary-General for his leadership in generating a meaningful agenda on this issue, throughout this year. Unfortunately, Romania was not bypassed by the adverse effects of climate change, but I came to this session of the General Assembly with hope and responsibility. The hope that it is not too late to have a safe planet, where the environment is protected for children and our responsibility to take concrete measures to fulfill the commitments made by the Paris Agreement and the rules agreed at Katowice, including by continuing efforts to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level,” Iohannis said during the national intervention at the debates of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Agerpres.

He emphasized that, through the National Climate Change Strategy, Romania aims to reach, by 2050, a society in which economic, social and environmental policies are interconnected and designed to ensure sustainable development, high standards of living and an increased quality of the environment.