António Guterres, UN Secretary General has called on world leaders must act now to end the climate catastrophe warning that “humanity’s fate is hanging in the balance”.
The UN chief delivered his impassioned appeal at the high-level opening of the Global Climate Action Summit, which will see world leaders and Heads of State and Government taking centre stage for the next two days in the Al Waha Theatre in Dubai’s iconic Expo City.
This is a sickness only you, global leaders, can cure,” he was quoted as saying while delivering his speech,”. He called on the leaders to end the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and to fulfill the long overdue promise for climate justice.
Guterres also welcomed the breakthrough achieved Thursday on the opening day of COP28 after delegates reached a deal on the operationalization a fund for loss and damage to help the world’s most vulnerable countries pay for the devastating impacts of climate disaster.
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the Secretary-General recalled his recent trips to Antarctica and Nepal, pointing out how he witnessed first-hand the scale and extent of melting ice and glaciers.
“These two spots are far in distance, but united in crisis, ”Guterres said, adding that this is just one symptom of the sickness bringing our climate to its knees.
Painting a worrisome picture of ongoing climate chaos, the UN chief said that global heating is busting budgets, ballooning food prices, upending energy markets, and feeding a cost-of-living crisis.
“We are miles from the goals of the Paris Agreement – and minutes to midnight for the 1.5-degree limit.”
He also Guterres emphasized that the success of the Dubai conference will depends on the outcome of the so-named ‘Global Stocktake’ – where countries will for the first time assess progress on curbing global warming – which can get the world on track to achieve the temperature, finance, and adaptation goals.
Story was adapted from UN News.
