Climate Crisis Demands 'Far Greater Urgency': UN

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

New York: António Guterres has urged nations around the world to act with ‘far greater urgency’ to prevent global warming, warning that existing efforts are insufficient to meet international climate commitments.

The UN secretary-general stated that the world is experiencing increasingly severe heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels, emphasising the growing human and economic implications of climate change. He stressed that every fraction of a degree of warming matters and urged governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly while accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.

Guterres also asked nations to submit stronger national climate plans, increase investments in clean energy, and provide financial assistance to impoverished countries that are among the most vulnerable to climate change. He stated that wealthier countries have responsibilities for helping poorer countries in adapting to climate change and transitioning to low-carbon economy.

His call comes as global temperatures continue to rise and experts warn that the window for limiting warming to 1.5° C over pre-industrial levels, as outlined by the Paris Agreement, is rapidly closing unless emissions are reduced further and more quickly. Guterres stated that bold action taken now can still help avert the worst effects of climate change, but warned that further delays would make the challenge substantially more difficult.