Director-General's remarks at the Reception in honour of Mr. Bertrand Piccard

Reception in honour of Mr. Bertrand Piccard

Organized by the Diplomatic Club of Geneva

Tuesday, 2 July 2024 at 7 p.m.

Mr. President of the Diplomatic Club of Geneva [M. Raymond Loretan],

Mr. President of the Fondation pour Genève [M. Marc Pictet],

Mr. Bertrand Piccard,

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

It is a great pleasure to be with you this evening, and I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the Diplomatic Club of Geneva for having organized this event and offering our International Geneva community another opportunity to come together.

I would also like to thank the Club for highlighting one of the greatest challenges of our time – the urgent need to act for the climate and for our planet – by making Mr. Bertrand Piccard our guest of honor.

For over 50 years, the perception of environmental issues has become an increasingly important part of our society. At last! 

For over 50 years, scientific facts, reports, testimonies and warnings have been accumulating. Awareness is finally here. Citizens everywhere are realizing that we must act now.

Just last month, the European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service officially announced that May 2024 was the hottest May in history. It is time to act! 

Today, almost 10 years have passed since the Paris Climate Agreement. The target of limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is hanging by a thread. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. 

More than ever, we need to find solutions. Despite the current climate of uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, we must remain united and work together to find lasting solutions. 

Solutions do exist. We have all the tools and technology we need to move forward. And the will to act is there too. Citizens everywhere are taking a stand to combat the climate crisis; industries are innovating and starting to transition to clean energy; and scientists are putting their research and knowledge to good use to move things forward. One of them is with us this evening: Mr. Bertrand Piccard.

Son, and grandson of great explorers and scientists who have conquered the heights and depths of our planet, you are carrying on this family legacy with vigour – going further and further with your two around-the -world flights, with a balloon and with Solar Impulse, supporting clean technologies and efficient solutions.

You are a trained psychiatrist, lecturer, author, UN Champion of the Earth, and so much more. You work tirelessly for a more sustainable world and in revolutionizing sustainability, in which science and adventure are your driving forces. Your innovations and advances are helping to solve some of the major challenges of our time. 

Earlier this year you announced your new project – Climate Impulse, the world's first green hydrogen-powered airplane that can fly nonstop around the earth, scheduled for 2028. Thank you, Mr. Piccard! Thank you for your ideas, for your commitment, and, above all, for demonstrating that concrete solutions do exist and can enable us to build a cleaner, more efficient world. 

The battle against climate emergency is up to us. Now more than ever we have a shared responsibility to look after our planet and our common future. Let us make the most of our international cooperation and ensure that we achieve the future we want. 

I look forward to continuing to work with all of you, representatives of International Geneva, to strengthen our multilateral actions in the face of the challenges of our time. 

Thank you all very much.