A recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns humans have unequivocally pushed the climate into “unprecedented” territory and catastrophic impacts lie ahead unless the world dramatically cuts greenhouse gas emissions.

On Thursday, Sept. 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed joins Washington Post senior writer Frances Stead Sellers to discuss the high stakes for protecting our planet and the COP26 conference this November in Scotland.

Highlights

More than 1,500 environmental groups have called for the COP26 Summit to be postponed, arguing access to the conference would be inequitable because of covid-19 vaccinations and quarantine requirements. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said the concerns are legitimate, but added organizers are working to bring down as many “hurdles” as they can and are working to make sure everyone’s voices are heard at the conference. “Postponement. I don’t think so. I think the postponing of such an important discussion like this it does mean that we put more lives at risk…I think that we will have the representation, voices will be heard, and the negotiations will be inclusive.” (Washington Post Live)
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said there’s a lot at stake ahead of this year’s COP26 Summit in Scotland. “For Glasgow, this is about lives, it’s about livelihoods, it’s really about having a breakthrough on the Paris Agreement to make sure that we keep with 1.5 degrees…There really is a red alert. We picked a fight with nature. It’s fighting back, and we’ve got to make peace. Peace is that Paris Agreement.” (Washington Post Live)
African nations contribute the least to global warming. When asked how those nations can be persuaded to help address an issue they don’t feel victimized by, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said, “This is an uphill struggle. We’ve been making promises for decades, and I think that African people are frustrated, they are angry and they have lost trust in leadership and in partnerships across the globe. I think it’s now incumbent on the international community to say what it’s going to do to address that and perhaps win back some of that trust.” (Washington Post Live)
When asked if the U.N. should withhold funds from Afghanistan until the Taliban assures the rights of women and girls will be protected, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said, “I think it’s very important that we don’t withhold aid from the people that it matters most to. I think that we should use it to leverage what we need in terms of the Taliban coming to the table. But we should find other ways and means of making sure those who are affected most…that we find resources to get to them.” (Washington Post Live)
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said climate activists are right when they say leaders are not doing enough to fight climate change. She adds that is why this year’s COP26 is “so important.” “I think that we promised [the] Paris [Agreement] six years ago, and we still haven’t delivered. So, of course, leaders have been talking, and they’re not delivering….” (Washington Post Live)

Amina J. Mohammed

Provided by the United Nations.

Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to four successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.

Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms. Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has two grandchildren.