PM Borissov, UN Secretary-General Guterres Talk Climate Change

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov gave his unreserved support for the ambition of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to see the EU become a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to be carbon neutral by 2050, the government information service said late on Monday.

In a telephone conversation initiated by Guterres, he thanked Borissov for his personal commitment to environmental protection and for his government's support for the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Guterres invited Borissov to the Climate Summit which the UN Secretary-General will convene in the context of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in September. The forum aims to give a new impetus and boost the implementation of the Paris Agreement commitments so as to stop the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and attain climate neutrality. Guterres expressed a hope that Borissov will share his experience regarding the climate and environment priorities at the forum in New York.

For his part, the Prime Minister said he would back Guterres's initiative at the European Council this week. As an EU Member State and a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Bulgaria sticks to its commitments at the national and European level, Borissov stressed. Bulgaria has exceeded its commitment to increase the use of renewable energy sources, reaching a share of 18.8 per cent, which makes it one of the leaders in the EU.

Climate change is not an abstraction, it is a fact, Borissov also said, adding that this is the biggest challenge to the world now and in the future. He stated that it is crucial to sustain the effort to protect the environment. "We set great store by clean nature," the Bulgarian Prime Minister said at the end of the conversation. MY/DD