Emboldened by the support of cities, businesses, and investors, last December world leaders acted on behalf of their citizens and in the interest of every one of us on this planet when they unanimously agreed to decouple global growth from greenhouse gas emissions. That was the "ready, set". Many actors have already been making changes to their future planning as a result.
The Paris Agreement has been ratified and will now enter into force four years earlier than it was originally intended. The speed at which the Agreement has been ratified showcases that world leaders recognize the urgency of action needed to combat climate change.
We now have our starting signal - this is the "go" toward a low carbon future. That future is going to be exciting: ending the dominance of fossil fuels will deliver an abundance of innovation and opportunity for all of us.
We can deliver cleaner air, healthier cities and a new kind of 'industrial' revolution underpinned by technologies that enable us to live a prosperous life within the boundaries our planet can sustain. To achieve that, we must now increase our ambition to ensure the legacy of this moment is sealed as a positive pivot point in history.
A growing number of committed people want to ensure that together our leaders, communities, cities, companies and citizens can actually bend the curve on global-warming emissions. With radical collaboration and unbridled optimism, under the initiative Mission 2020, we are committed to accelerating material breakthroughs in the global economy that deliver a climate safe world and development gains for all.