Bloomberg appointed as UN envoy for climate action

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) speaks to the press with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday.

Bloomberg will support the UN chief's climate strategy and efforts toward the planned 2019 Climate Summit at UN Headquarters in New York, it said.

The 2019 Climate Summit will mobilize stronger and more ambitious action toward 2020 climate targets. Bloomberg will leverage efforts in key areas of the Climate Summit to encourage rapid and enhanced implementation of the Paris Agreement in the context of sustainable development, it added.

Guterres will be engaging and inviting leaders from governments, businesses, finance and civil society organizations with a view to bending the emissions curve by 2020 and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The secretary-general and Bloomberg share the perspective that the emissions gap needs to be closed soon to limit global temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, it said.

Bloomberg, founder of the Bloomberg financial news and information service, served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013.

He was appointed as UN special envoy on cities and climate change in January 2014 by the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.