Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said in New York on Wednesday that amid today's crises, it is important not to forget about climate change and environmental protection, which are among the world's "most pressing challenges".
Though recently the world has been focused on armed conflicts and the coronavirus pandemic, it is also crucial to address the pressing challenges of climate change and sea-level rise, Szijjártó told a high-level meeting on sea-level rise held during the United Nations General Assembly, according to a ministry statement.
The minister said sea-level rise was not a purely ecological issue, arguing that it could also pose a threat to political stability. Hungary, he said, saw sea-level rise as a risk that could lead to the disappearance of cities, islands and entire countries.
Minister Szijjártó said the problem called for immediate global action for "fundamental change when it comes to generating electricity for households and industry" and limiting harmful emissions.
He said growing industrial capacities, the usage of heating and cooling systems and the transition to electric vehicles were all increasing global electricity demand.
But a failure to meet this growing demand in a responsible way could lead to "tragic and irreversible" consequences such as more natural disasters and rising sea levels, the minister warned.
Minister Szijjártó said the use of nuclear energy was the only responsible and safe way to satisfy growing electricity demand. He said when Hungary completes the upgrade of its nuclear plant in Paks the plant will be able to meet 70 percent of the country's electricity needs, while 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions would be cut each year.
Hungary, he said, considered environmental protection a pragmatic matter, which was why it was among 20 countries that have been able to reduce their harmful emissions while maintaining economic growth.
Meanwhile, at a meeting focused on global plastic pollution, Szijjártó said the Hungarian government believed that "environmental protection improving economic competitiveness must go hand in hand", adding that this was also an important goal for Hungary as the current president of the Council of the European Union.
"We do believe that the fight against plastic waste and plastic pollution is not only a global interest but a global duty as well," he said. "And we look at the Global Plastics Treaty as one of the major assets in this fight ". He said Hungary took seriously its coordinating role in the EU aimed at ensuring substantial contribution to the treaty from the bloc.
Detailing the measures Hungary has introduced against plastic pollution, he said the country aimed to increase the municipal waste recycling rate to 65 percent from the current 32 percent by 2040.
He welcomed the recent launch of a new bottle deposit return scheme, with a daily 6 million bottles being returned by the end of August.
Minister Szijjártó said it was "shocking" that around 7 million of the 220 million tonnes of plastic waste set to be generated this year are projected to end up in the natural environment.
"So the problem is serious… We do have to act immediately and quickly, and … I can assure you that Hungary and the Hungarian government will continue to do its share in this fight against plastic waste," he said.