First Minister to travel to New York for Climate Week summit

First Minister Humza Yousaf will travel to New York on Sunday to take part in Climate Week NYC.

He is expected to meet with Under2 Coalition co-chairs for the first time on Sunday and will give a keynote speech at the Climate Week NYC Hub on Monday.

Mr Yousaf will use the speech to call on other governments and cross-sector organisations to not only pledge, but mobilise loss and damage funding, as well as a call for bold, sustained action to deliver on climate pledges and support Global South nations hit hardest by climate change.

He said: “For communities across the world, new climate shocks often arrive before there is time to recover from the last – and the recent UN stocktake of global climate action emphasises that loss and damage risks are still growing.

For communities across the world, new climate shocks often arrive before there is time to recover from the last – and the recent UN stocktake of global climate action emphasises that loss and damage risks are still growing

“It’s clear that Scotland can play a significant role in calling for greater international action as an outward-looking nation which has already shown global leadership. We have already put people at the heart of our international climate action, and will be calling on others to join us.

“Scotland has demonstrated that we are prepared to walk the walk where many others, to this point, have merely talked the talk. Collective action is needed to tackle the climate emergency and address the devastating effects of climate change, in particular loss and damage.

“Eleven years ago, we launched the world’s first dedicated Climate Justice Fund, which remains the only government-led climate justice fund in the world – something we’d like to help change.”