Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2014 shows a bird view of the Paradise Island, Maldives. (Xinhua)
UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that climate change jeopardizes plans for inclusive development.
"It is clear that climate change threatens decades of development progress and places in jeopardy all our plans for inclusive and sustainable development," the UN chief told the High-level Meeting on Climate and Sustainable Development for All, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York.
"From increased poverty and food insecurity, to growing water stress and accelerated environmental damage, climate change is a clear and present threat," the UN chief added.
Referring to climate change as "the defining issue of our times," the secretary-general warned that climate change "is happening now and to all of us."
"Every week brings a new example of climate-related devastation," he noted.
The UN chief therefore called on the international community to act, show ambition and political will in the fight against climate change.
"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said we have less than 12 years to avoid potentially irreversible climate disruption," said Guterres.
"I am calling on leaders to come to New York on Sept. 23 with concrete, realistic plans to put us, once and for all, on a sustainable path," he added.
To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the UN chief will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit in September to meet the climate challenge.
UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces chaired Thursday's meeting, which was participated by some heads of government and state.
The objectives of the high-level meeting include highlighting the interlinkages between climate and economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development for present and future generations including the synergies between the climate agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.