Delegates to the COP 27 in Egypt next month must prioritise climate change and devise durable and lasting solutions to avert an impending global catastrophe, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has warned.
The climate indaba-being held in Africa for the third time since inception, goes underway in Egypt’s Sharma Sheik-shore city from November 6-18.
Over 90 global leaders and delegates are expected to converge to brainstorm on the crisis which has reversed the economic gains, further heightened by the COVID-19 and the seventh-month old-Russia-Ukraine war, all putting pressure on most developing countries.
In a televised interview by BBC and monitored by FRA, Mr. Guterres warns global leaders against complacency in redressing the effects of the crisis amid threatening catastrophes.
He urged global leaders not to abandon key goals, including keeping global temperature rise to 1.5C, in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
“There has been a tendency to put climate change on the back burner,” he said. “If we are not able to reverse the present trend, we will be doomed.”, he is cited as saying.
He noted that current global problems such as inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the high prices of energy and food were distracting governments hence the need to give the crisis the attention it deserves for lasting solutions and avert further damage to the environment.
The UN chief is hopeful both King Charles III and new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend COP27, noting that King Charles has been a “constant voice” calling attention to the problem of climate change.
He appealed to the US and China to work together at the conference, noting that the world relies on their leadership. In August, China said it was ending co-operation with the US on climate change after a leading US politician visited Taiwan.
“This is the defining issue of our time, nobody has the right to sacrifice international action on climate change for any reason.
“We need to tell the truth. The truth is that the impact of climate change on a number of countries in the world, especially hotspots, is already devastating,” he told BBC.
Meanwhile Mr. Guterres reminded developed nations-major earth polluters to honor the pledged $100billion climate finance promised to developing countries facing the harshest impacts of climate change, Mr Guterres insists.
A windfall tax on fossil fuel energy profits could help to find the remaining money, he suggested. He challenged the countries not to invest in more fossil fuels and instead they instead do support renewable energy,
He further challenged countries not to invest in more fossil fuels and instead, support renewable energy. “The most stupid thing is to bet on what has led us to this disaster,” he said.
The COP27 conference will see global leaders meet in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt from 6-18 November to discuss what progress has been made on meeting climate goals.
Last year at COP26, in Glasgow, governments pledged to cut back or stop using fossil fuels, end deforestation, and provide money to developing countries facing the worst of climate change.
The negotiations this year will focus on what progress has been made and implementing those promises.
