«Turn off the lights and move the world towards a better future for everyone,» said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a message for the event.
The UN Chief reminded that 2023 was the hottest year on record, and this year’s celebration is a global demonstration of solidarity to chart a different path.
UN Headquarters goes dark
The UN Secretariat will go dark starting at 8:30 pm on Saturday, New York time, when all lights of the 40-floor building on the East River will be turned off for 60 minutes.
World Meteorological Day
The UN will also celebrate World Meteorological Day marked annually on March 23, under the theme Leading the way in climate action.
Led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the date serves as a clear reminder that climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization.
The WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, said that weather and climate indicators are «off the charts,» but it’s not too late for humanity to live in harmony with nature.
An approach of net zero emissions with a transition to renewable energies is imperative «at the core of decision-making and action,» said UN News, calling for «all the Earth’s youth to get involved.»
The UN agency also highlighted that weather and climate forecasts help in many ways, from increasing food production and moving closer to zero hunger to managing climate-sensitive diseases. Additionally, early warning systems are key to helping reduce poverty by giving people the chance to prepare and limit the impact of extreme weather conditions.
New ‘Weather Kids’ campaign
On the eve of the Day, WMO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the Weather Kids campaign, with broadcasters and online platforms worldwide airing a different kind of weather forecast.
Check out a young Weather Kid here.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said the campaign provides children with a new platform to voice their climate concerns.
SDG 13
SDG 13: COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE
- Strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
- Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
- Enhance education, awareness, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
- Increase capacity for effective climate-related planning and management in least developed countries
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the main international intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.