Despite the announced prospect of a climate “catastrophe”, the world’s collective response remains “pitiful”, denounced the UN Secretary General on Thursday, notably attacking once again fossil fuels, “incompatible” with the survival of mankind. “We are rushing towards disaster with eyes wide open, with far too many people willing to gamble everything on wishful thinking, unproven technologies or quick fixes,” Antonio Guterres said during a press conference.
“Current policies lead the world towards a warming of 2.8°C by the end of the century. This announces a disaster. Yet the collective response is pitiful. “Countries are falling far short of delivering on their climate promises and commitments. I see a lack of ambition. A lack of trust. A lack of support. A lack of cooperation. And a plethora of clarity and credibility issues,” hammered home the secretary-general, who will host a climate action summit in New York on September 20.
“It’s time to wake up and pick up the pace,” he pleaded, still believing that meeting the accord’s ideal goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C is “still possible.” But for that, we must act “immediately”, starting “with the polluted heart of the climate crisis: fossil fuels”.
“The problem is not just fossil fuel emissions. It’s the fossil fuels themselves, period. Fossil fuel industries, coal, oil and gas, are prime targets for the Secretary-General, who urged them to move away from “a product incompatible with human survival.”
