Many scientists say that emissions must peak within the decade, given that climate change and its adverse effects are driven by the cumulative build-up of greenhouse gases that remain in the atmosphere for many years, and, in the case of C02, for centuries. The challenge now is to scale up ambition and to immediately accelerate the transformation towards low-emission, climate-resilient sustainable development that supports the health and well-being of all people and of our planet. As the Secretary-General has often stated, we cannot achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals without reducing the risks of climate change. To make lasting progress in eliminating poverty, reducing hunger and achieving all the other SDGs, we must radically decarbonize our economies to protect the Earth's climate and ecosystems that are essential to our survival.