2023-12-01 12:39:19
The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterresassured this Friday that it is not yet too late to limit global warming and avoid planetary collapse as long as we act now and agree to the progressive elimination of all fossil fuels.
He did it in his speech at the summit of leaders of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has just been inaugurated in Dubai. Some 140 leaders from around the world will participate in the summit.
According to the UN Secretary General, the melting ice is another “symptom” of the disease that affects the climate and that only world leaders “can cure”
After recounting his recent passage through Antarctica and the glaciers of Nepal, he stressed that melting ice is one more “symptom” of the disease that affects our climate and that “only you, leaders world, can cure“, in his words.
“Earth’s vital signs are failing: emissions record, fires fierce, droughts mortals and the hottest year of history. We are miles away from the goals of the Paris Agreement“and at the limit of being able to limit the warming in 1.5 degreeshe stated.
“But it is not too late and planetary collapse can be avoided. We have the necessary technologies to avoid the worst of climate chaos, if we act now,” Guterres asserted, in a tone of hope unusual in his speeches on climate change.
We can’t save a burning planet with a hose of fossil fuels
António Guterres, UN Secretary General
To achieve this, we need “leadership, cooperation y political will“, according to the leader of the United Nations, who has stressed that climate action can also change the injustice that rules the world.
Asks G20 and oil companies for leadership
In his opinion, the “diagnosis is clear” and the success of the COP depends on the so-called global balance of the Paris Agreement (Global Stocktake) “prescribe a cure in three areas“.
First of all, drastically reduce emissionsa section in which the G20 (the largest economies in the world that concentrate 80% of global emissions) must take the initiative, said Guterres, who has urged developed countries to be net zero emissions in 2040 and the economies emerging in 2050.
“Secondly, we cannot save a planet on fire with a fossil fuel hose (…) The science is clear, the limit of 1.5 º C is only possible if we stop burning all the fossil fuels“progressively and with a clear calendar, as well as tripling the renewable capacity and duplicate the energy efficiency.
Guterres calls on governments to regulate, legislate and end fossil fuel subsidies, while adopting a windfall tax
In this section, he recalled that the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Change (IPCCin English) recommended ending the coal for 2030 in the OECD countries and by 2040 in the rest, to which he added that, according to the International Energy Agency, oil and gas they only provide the 1% of investment in clean energy.
The warning: their business is running out
“I have a message for the leaders of fossil fuel companies: don’t keep betting for a model of obsolete business and lead the transition to renewable energies”, since the path towards climate sustainability “is also the only viable path for the economic sustainability of their companies”.
In this context, he has asked governments to help the sector make the right decision “by regulating, legislating, putting a fair carbon priceending the fossil fuel subsidies and adopting a tax on extraordinary profits”.
Third, the parties must commit to increase mitigation fundingadaptation and loss and damage and support the reform of multilateral development banks to achieve much more private financing at reasonable costs.
“Excellencies, the climate challenge It’s not just another matter in your (email) inbox. Protecting our climate is the greatest leadership test of the world. I urge you to lead, destiny of humanity hanging by a thread, do let this COP count“, it is finished.
The loss and damage fund, the first agreement
The new loss and damage fund, the milestone already being celebrated in Dubai, will help vulnerable countries to the climate crisis to assume the bill for the impacts. This decision sends a signal to the States that this summit should not get bogged down in resolutions that are finally made at the last minute.
This year, the parties have come to this city-emirate to discuss, above all, mitigation, within the framework of the Global Balance, the evaluation process of climate efforts that at this COP28 is in the conclusion phase.
The new mechanism financing has been designed to mobilize “new and additional” resources towards the developing countries impacted by the consequences of the climate crisis.
At the climate summit Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt)held in 2022, the countries of the global south made the last-minute decision to create this fund, for which details have been negotiated throughout 2023. At this conference, finally, the formal decision to start this tool of international climate cooperation, which already has about 400 million dollars. However, it is expected that each year it will provide at least 100 billion dollars to the most vulnerable countriescon “agility” and with payments in the form of grant y not loan.
Thus, the world Bank would be in charge of hosting the mechanism, if the entity accepts the conditions agreed at COP28, at least for the next four years. To do this, the entity will have to guarantee that the board of directors of said fund is autonomous and is the one who will deliberate whether a certain country receives money or not.
Las contributions They are, in principle, volunteersand although developed countries are called, anyone who considers it can contribute, including the private sector.
Minutes after the decision to activate the fund was made, United Arab Emirates y Germany They committed to contributing, each, 100 million dollars, while the United Kingdom He said he would contribute 40 million pounds; USA17.5 million dollars, and Japan, another 10 million. European Unionfor its part, expressed that it would contribute at least 225 million, although the figure is expected to continue increasing after the speeches of political leaders.
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