UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that there must be no room for greenwashing. At the ongoing COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, the UN Chief called for early warnings for all initiative to provide protection from hazardous weather, water or climate events by the end of 2027 is an effective way to save lives and protect vulnerable communities.
The UN Secretary-General added that the fossil fuel industry is finally starting to wake up and the commitment on the elimination of methane by 2030 is a step in the right direction. The target of achieving net zero by 2050 fails to mention anything about eliminating emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Guterres called for clarity on the pathway to reaching net zero by 2050 which is absolutely essential to ensure integrity.
He further stressed that phasing out fossil fuels within a timeframe compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 Celsius is needed. However, he mentioned that current actions are not enough to tackle the issue.
“To meet the 1.5-degree limit of the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions must fall 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. But under national plans that are currently known they are set to increase by 9 per cent.”
Advocating for early warnings, Guterres said that a delay in action results in more deadly and extreme weather conditions and destructions. Further, those in the front line face the wrath of climate crisis, especially the developing nations. In order to achieve the 2027 target, all major multilateral development banks, the global climate funds and the key financing mechanisms have coalesced around the Early Warnings for All initiative.
The UN chief urged all countries to continue to be bold and ambitious and to double the speed and scale of support in 2024.
