Paris climate summit opens with call for ‘finance shock’

Paris climate summit opens with call for ‘finance shock’

NNA - French President Emmanuel Macron told global leaders that no country should have to choose between tackling poverty and dealing with climate change at a summit tasked with reimagining the world#39;s financial system.

The Summit for a New Global Financial Pact is aimed at finding the financial solutions to the interlinked global goals of tackling poverty, curbing planet-heating emissions and protecting nature.

In his opening remarks Mr Macron told delegates that the world needs quot;public finance shockquot; to fight these challenges, adding the current system was not well suited to address the world#39;s challenges.

quot;Policymakers and countries shouldn#39;t ever have to choose between reducing poverty and protecting the planet,quot; Mr Macron said.

Ugandan climate campaigner Vanessa Nakate took the podium after Macron and asked the audience, which included oil-rich Saudi Arabia#39;s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to take a minute of silence for people who are suffering from disasters.

She slammed the fossil fuel industry, saying they promise development for poor communities but the energy goes elsewhere and the profits quot;lie in the pockets of those who are already extremely richquot;.

quot;It seems there is plenty of money, so please do not tell us that we have to accept toxic air and barren fields and