The UN has cautioned that the globe must not surpass the “red line,” which would elevate global temperatures beyond the 1.5-degree threshold.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, remarked earlier on Sunday during the concluding plenary of the international climate summit that if the world intends to have any chance of remaining within the 1.5 degree temperature cap, it must “substantially invest in renewable energy and cease dependency on fossil fuels.”
The resolution to establish a loss and damage fund and the UN’s readiness to support it were both favorably received by Mr. Guterres.
However, he emphasized that it is inadequate.
“Evidently this will not be sufficient, but it serves as a much-needed political indication to restore fractured trust,” he stated.
As per the conference’s agreement, contributors will allocate funds to a global initiative to safeguard lives and livelihoods from climate change-related calamities through the new loss and damage financing mechanism.
A fund for loss and damage is essential but falls short if the climate emergency obliterates a small island nation or transforms an entire African country into a wasteland, according to Mr. Guterres, who also noted that “our planet remains in the emergency unit; we must drastically curb emissions now, and this is a matter that this COP did not tackle.”
Moreover, he added, the world must avert a competition for energy wherein developing countries come in last, akin to the chase for COVID-19 vaccines.
Reinforcing reliance on fossil fuels, Mr. Guterres stated it is “double trouble” and that just energy transition partnerships are crucial for hastening the phase-out of coal and elevating renewables.
“But we require much more,” he expressed as he reiterated the significance of a climate solidarity pact, which he mentioned in his introductory remarks two weeks ago.
“A pact in which all nations exert extra effort to diminish emissions this decade in accordance with the 1.5-degree objective, a Pact to mobilize, alongside international financial institutions and the private sector, fiscal and technical assistance for large emerging economies to hasten their shift to renewable energy,” he explained, stressing that this is vital to maintain the 1.5-degree target within reach.
There is “considerable homework and limited time” remaining before the deadline of 2030, Mr. Guterres observed, adding that the world has already reached halfway between the 2015 Paris Agreement and that juncture.
“We need every hand on deck to promote justice and ambition,” he declared. This ambition encompasses halting the destructive war on nature that is exacerbating the climate crisis.
He praised members of civil society organizations who were notably vocal at the conference with various demands and “keeping the agenda progressing through the darkest times.”
He called for the safeguarding of young individuals, “to all of them, I say we resonate with your frustrations, but we require you now more than ever.”
“Justice and ambition necessitate the crucial voice of civil society. The most indispensable energy source in the world is the power of people; that is why it is essential to recognize the human rights aspect of climate action,” he asserted.
He implored everyone to remain steadfast in the battle for climate justice and ambition, asserting: “we can and must triumph in this struggle for our lives.”
