20 December 2010: In a press release, Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, observes that the successful Cancun Climate Change Conference must be followed up with higher global emissions cuts and the rapid launch of new institutions and funds “to show the world that a new era of international cooperation on climate change is an established fact.”

Figueres emphasizes that all countries, particularly industrialized nations, need to deepen their emission reduction efforts and to do so quickly. Noting that governments renewed their trust in each other in Cancun, Figueres stresses that to succeed fully, they need to press boldly ahead with what they had agreed, underscoring implementation as the most effective avenue to harness the support of business and civil society. Figueres also expresses her expectation for rapid decisions on appointing the board of the new Green Fund and the Committee of the Technology Mechanism, and looks forward to receiving the details of fast-start financing from industrialized countries. [UNFCCC Press Release]