The Dutch cabinet appointed Jaime de Bourbon de Parme earlier this month as the Netherlands' climate envoy. On behalf of the Netherlands, he will work globally to establish agreements on climate action.
Jaime Bernardo Prince de Bourbon de Parme is the second son of Dutch Princess Irene and Prince Carel Hugo of Bourbon-Parma. From 2014 to 2018, he served as the Dutch ambassador to the Vatican.
One of the key conclusions from the UN climate panel IPCC is that climate change is progressing faster than previously thought. This rapid warming of the Earth is caused by humans. Only by reducing greenhouse gas emissions can it be possible to slow down the warming.
“You could say my start as climate envoy couldn't have come at a more important time. Besides the IPCC report, this autumn we also have the international climate summit COP26 in Glasgow. This is the most important climate summit since Paris in 2015,” said the climate diplomat.
“The awareness that we must take action on climate has been growing for some time. Not coincidentally, the EU announced an ambitious Green Deal, and the United States under President Biden is once again fully participating in international climate agreements. Major emitters in Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and China are also making climate a priority. We all need to put more action behind our words.”
According to him, the Netherlands is undergoing a green transition. This does not come without challenges. For example, we still need to make significant progress with renewable energy. At the same time, the 'polder model' of our Climate Agreement serves as an international example.
De Bourbon de Parme points out that since Britain's departure from the EU, the Netherlands is the fifth-largest economy in Europe. Europe is the third-largest emitter of emissions worldwide. So what we do at the EU level does indeed have an impact, he believes.
“We have a lot to catch up on. In that regard, everyone has a role. World leaders, governments, the private sector, banks, and social organizations. We are all in this together and can all make a difference.”