From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 30, 2019
UN chief urges action to avert climate change ‘catastrophe’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUN chief Antonio Guterres says climate-related devastation was striking the planet on a weekly basis and warned Sunday that urgent action must be taken to avoid a catastrophe.
“We are here because the world is facing a grave climate emergency,” Guterres tells a two-day Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting to prepare for a Climate Action Summit in New York in September.
“Climate disruption is happening now… It is progressing even faster than the world’s top scientists have predicted,” the UN secretary general says. “It is outpacing our efforts to address it. Climate change is running faster than we are.”
“Every week brings new climate-related devastation… floods, drought, heatwaves, wildfires and super storms,” Guterres says.
"I am asking all leaders, from governments and private sector, to present plans – at the summit or at the latest by December 2020 – to cut greenhouse emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and get to carbon neutrality by 2050."
Powerful words from @antonioguterres at #ADClimateMeeting pic.twitter.com/g53cihDBcW— Inger Andersen (@andersen_inger) June 30, 2019
He warned the situation would only deteriorate unless “we act now with ambition and urgency,” but some of the world’s decision-makers still did not realize the dangers.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.