TEHRAN (Iran News) – Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday that discussed the effects of climate change on global peace and security, Majid Takht-Ravanchi described dealing with the negative dimensions of climate change as a “collective” responsibility and said all governments must fully implement their obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris climate accord.

The Iranian diplomat said, “Sanctions severely undermine the ability of a number of developing countries, such as Iran, to meet the challenges of climate change.”

“Unilateral US sanctions against Iran have not only prevented the country’s access to the necessary financial resources and technologies, but have also adversely affected the effective use of national capabilities to meet its obligations, and therefore these illegal and inhumane sanctions should be lifted,” he added.

The Paris agreement seeks to avert climate change by limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures by 2050. It also sets out a goal of reaching a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius, if possible.

Most scientists believe the world must cut emissions sharply and quickly in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of global warming. China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union (EU) have recently ramped up their carbon-cutting targets.

In November 2019, the administration of former US President Donald Trump presented Washington’s withdrawal letter to the UN, saying it would be officially out of the Paris accord on November 4, 2020, one day after the US election.

During the UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Takht-Ravanchi stressed that developed countries have a greater responsibility to meet such challenges in view of their key role in climate change and their access to adequate technologies and financial resources, Press TV reported.

“Developed countries should not only be at the forefront of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and provide adequate financial support to developing countries but should also facilitate the transfer of climate-friendly technologies to these countries,” he told the meeting.

The Iranian envoy also said developing countries must live up to their commitments in accordance with their national capabilities and conditions, and reiterated that the international community must remove all obstacles to the effective implementation of their commitments, one of which is unilateral sanctions.