Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has said the UN will host a “no-nonsense” climate summit in 2023 to spur action from governments on the climate crisis, as the goal of avoiding global warming of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius is beginning to slip out of reach and governments have fallen short of their emission reduction targets.
Billed to hold in September, the UN summit aims to hold governments accountable and demand tangible plans for improvement.
“The invitation is open, but there is a price of entry, and the price of entry is non-negotiable: credible, serious and new climate action. It will be a no-nonsense summit, no exceptions, no compromises. And there will be no room for greenwashers, backsliders, blame-shifters,” Guterres said.
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While governments and international bodies have acknowledged the urgency of climate change, critics have denounced the international community’s failure to rein in emissions as the climate crisis devastates communities around the world. Drought, heat waves and floods driven partly by climate change are upending the lives of millions of people, especially those in poor countries.
Although an agreement was reached at the UN-sponsored COP27 climate talks in November to create a “loss and damage” fund to help poor countries adapt to climate change, issues such as emission reductions and the phaseout of fossil fuels were not comprehensively addressed.
Countries are now under pressure to ensure emissions are cut in half by 2030 and down to net zero by 2050, which is the only path to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a goal agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement, a binding international treaty.
Guterres said on Monday that he would continue his push for a climate solidarity pact, which would require greater effort from the world’s largest emitters and provide more support for nations who require assistance.
Story was adapted from Al Jazeera.
