Climate action will be both a priority and a driver of world affairs through the coming decade, United Nations Secretary-General chief António Guterres announced on Monday, during a speech at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, in which he declared that the next ten years will be crucial for achieving a fair globalization, boosting economic growth and building peaceful societies.
Mr. Guterres was addressing representatives of countries, led by Germany and Naura, that joined together in 2018 to form the UN Group of Friends on Climate and Security, with the stated aim of cooperating to develop solutions for the impact of climate change on security policy, raise public awareness and boost the involvement of the United Nations in this area.
The Decade of Action begins, said the UN chief, with efforts to ensure that the next UN climate conference, set to take place in Glasgow in November, is a success, following the disappointment of COP25.
70 countries committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, including the European Union, but also many that have contributed least to the problem, said Mr. Guterres. That number represents less than one fourth of global emissions. We must make this commitment universal.
Mr. Guterres repeated his attack on fossil fuel subsidies, and the necessity for countries particularly, but not only, in East, South and Southeast Asia to break their addiction to coal. Many countries, he said, continue to put coal at the heart of their energy plans, and there is still no universally agreed price on carbon.
This inability to kick the coal habit comes as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) analysis shows that 2019 was the second hottest year on record, and that ocean heating is at a record level.
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