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UNEP Executive Director Addresses EU Environment Ministers Ahead of COP21

23 Jul 2015 | by unep.org
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner delivered two keynote speeches at the EU Environment Ministers Informal Council today, discussing both the upcoming adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate financing.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner delivered two keynote speeches at the EU Environment Ministers Informal Council today, discussing both the upcoming adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate financing. He also held meetings with Ministers and high level representatives of the Governments of Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the members of EU Commission, and senior officials of the European Investment Bank.

In a morning session of the Informal Council of the EU Environment Ministers, Executive Director Steiner emphasized how the EU's own development strategy and policy choices will determine whether the SDG targets can be achieved. He also underlined two fundamental features of the SDGs: that they apply to developing and developed countries alike (universality), and that economic, social and environmental factors must all be addressed to achieve them (integration).