Guterres Secretary-General "OECD Member Countries Must End Coal Use by 2030, Others by 2040"
Ant?nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, is delivering a speech at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) summit held in Egypt on the 7th (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Ant?nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated in his speech at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) summit held in Egypt on the 7th (local time) that the issue of climate change is approaching critical tipping points and called for a Climate Solidarity Pact between developed and developing countries. He also emphasized that the world must cease coal usage by 2040.
In his speech, Secretary-General Guterres pointed out the severity of the current situation, saying, "Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, global temperatures keep increasing, and the Earth is rapidly approaching irreversible tipping points of climate disruption." He added, "We are fighting for our lives but are losing. We are on a highway to climate hell with the accelerator pressed down."
He stressed that despite many conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, causing bloodshed and violence and delivering significant shocks worldwide, the issue of climate change must not be neglected.
Secretary-General Guterres said, "Climate change is the defining issue of our time and the core challenge of our era," adding, "Postponing climate action is unacceptable, absurd, and self-destructive." He noted that many conflicts worldwide are linked to increasing climate disruption. For example, he pointed out that the war in Ukraine has revealed the serious risks of fossil fuel dependence.
Guterres emphasized that climate change is caused by human activities, and therefore, the solution depends on how we act.
He urged all G20 countries to accelerate the transition to green energy to avoid a terrible fate. He stated that while developed countries should lead the green transition, it is also important for developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact between developed and developing nations. Guterres urged, "The United States and China must actively engage in this agreement."
He also advocated for the gradual phase-out of coal usage, proposing that OECD member countries end coal use by 2030 and other countries by 2040.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the commitments of countries regarding climate change should not change due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He stated, "We will not sacrifice our climate commitments because of the threats Russia poses in terms of energy," and added, "Therefore, every country must uphold its own commitments."
Former U.S. Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore criticized world leaders for credibility issues on environmental matters, particularly condemning the exploitation of Africa's gas resources as "resource colonialism." He said, "We have started talking and acting on the climate crisis, but it is still not enough," and warned, "Now is not the time to be morally cowardly."
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, a Caribbean island nation struggling with sea-level rise triggered by climate change, called for increased financial support from the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for island countries facing the climate crisis. He appealed, "We want to increase loans from billions to trillions of dollars. We have no time."
However, some countries continue to supply fossil fuels regardless of these concerns. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the host country of next year’s climate change conference, said, "The UAE is considered a responsible energy supplier. We will continue to fulfill that role as long as there are countries that need oil and gas."
Over 100 heads of state are attending the COP27 summit, which continues until the 8th. However, nine out of the top ten greenhouse gas-emitting countries’ leaders are absent, raising concerns that discussions on massive financial support for developing countries will not be easily resolved.
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