Humanity, which is reluctant to detoxify itself from fossil fuels, has “opened the gates of hell”, denounced the UN Secretary General on Tuesday during a summit on climate ambition in the notable absence of the United States. United and China.
The continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for warming, has led this year to “terrible heat” and “historic fires” across the world, Antonio Guterres noted during this meeting partially overshadowed by the The United Kingdom’s announcement to put the brakes on some of its climate commitments.
But it is not too late “to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C,” assured the UN chief. “The future is not written: it is up to you, the leaders, to write it.”
“We can still build a world with clean air, green jobs, and clean, affordable energy for all,” he added.
To face the immense gap between the climate crisis and government policies, he had convened this “common sense” summit with a high entry ticket, at a time when dozens of heads of state and government are gathered for the UN General Assembly.
He had in fact been very clear, refusing “stepbacks, greenwashing, dodging responsibility and re-packaging” of already known commitments: only the most ambitious, particularly in terms of carbon neutrality objectives, would have the right to express themselves.
After receiving more than a hundred responses from countries justifying their action, the list of forty lucky ones included some notable absentees.
In particular the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases: the United States, while President Joe Biden was still in New York, and China, whose president did not make the trip to the General Assembly annual.
The United Kingdom was also not on the list. And his Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who did not come to New York, chose this day to announce the postponement of flagship measures of British climate policy.
The European Union, on the other hand, was invited to present its climate policies, as were Brazil, Canada and South Africa.
“Maybe it’s good news that Biden doesn’t have a slot to speak at the summit,” commented Catherine Abreu, of the NGO Destination Zero, pointing to plans to develop fossil fuels in the United States. United.
“This is a correction from previous summits where leaders had the opportunity to take credit for climate leadership on the international stage, as they pursued plans to expand fossil fuels fueling the climate crisis at home,” she added.
Anger is growing among climate activists, particularly young people, who last weekend once again took to the streets of New York in their thousands during a march against fossil fuels.
However, some noted some positive points.
Thus, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted the 2 billion euros promised to a fund financing climate action in developing countries, while Brazil assured that it would succeed in reducing deforestation in the Amazon to zero by 2030.
“The small steps of some countries are welcome. But it’s a bit like trying to put out a fire with a leaky pipe,” lamented David Waskow of the World Resources Institute. “Far too many key players have not touched the accelerator.”
Developing countries have once again reminded rich countries of their promise to greatly increase their climate aid.
One of the most sensitive points of international climate negotiations and which will undoubtedly be at the heart of COP28 again in a few weeks, in Dubai at the end of November.
“Neither Africa nor the developed world asks for charity or alms (…) Only justice,” launched Kenyan President William Ruto, calling for a universal tax on fossil fuels.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, at the forefront of demands for reform of the international financial architecture, hoped that the world would take the climate crisis as “seriously” as the war in Ukraine.
09/21/2023 00:26:28 – United Nations (United States) (AFP) – ©2023 AFP
