Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, traveled to Greenland, where he says he witnessed the effects of climate change first hand.
Ice sheets in Greenland are melting at an increasing rate, said the U.N chief.
"He spent the morning in the town of Uummannaq... He went dog sledding and met with indigenous people," Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson told the press at a news conference.
Ban visited the Ilulissat Icefjord, a large fjord in western Greenland. This area has been the site of geological studies for over 250 years. Ban toured the area by boat, examining places where ice is melting. The area is often used as an example of how global warming is affecting the environment. Ilulissat Icefjord is the mouth of a glacier and was designated a World Heritage site by the international body in 2004. The Jakobshavn Glacier at the fjord produces the greatest quantities of ice bergs in the world. The feature flows at a rate between 66 and 115 feet a day, producing more than 22 billion tons of icebergs every year.
The United Nations leader spent one morning in the town of Uummannaq, located hundreds of miles above the Arctic. The town, located in the northeast of the nation, has a population of fewer than 1,300 people. It also houses the northernmost ferry port in the country. While there, the international leader examined possible evidence of rising temperatures.
Ban also met with other world leaders while in the land, known as the Lady of Snow. These included the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark.
The leaders held a joint press conference, where they stated the importance of acting quickly on climate change.
"We have to take action now. The time is now, and I'm very much committed to working with world leaders. The problem doesn't go away by being silent," Ban told reporters.
While he is in Greenland, the U.N. Chief will consult with researchers on the state of efforts to combat global warming in that country.
On 23 September, Ban will lead a worldwide summit on climate change, to be held in New York City. The meeting is being held to coordinate actions by governments, corporations and other organizations in moving toward a low-carbon global economy.
"[T]he Secretary-General has made addressing climate change among his top priorities as UN Secretary-General and an important component of his Five Year Action Agenda," the United Nations reports.
The visit to Greenland is designed to build support for the upcoming conference in September.
