"The climate crisis is outpacing humanity, and the world must accelerate its efforts to address it," said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, addressing the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Turkey. Speaking at the opening ceremony, he called on leaders to put an end to the world’s addiction to fossil fuels.
“Our first duty to the climate is to tell the truth,” Mr. Guterres said, warning that the last four years have been the warmest on record. “This is the path to mutual destruction,” he added, noting that science does not call on us to give up, but to fight even more vigorously.
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“We are fighting for our very lives and for our children’s future,” he emphasized, pointing out, however, that there are important lessons demonstrating that even exponential changes are possible.
Referring to the progress made in the fields of renewable energy and transportation, Mr. Guterres said that solar energy accounted for nearly three-quarters of the net increase in global electricity demand, while nearly one in three cars sold this year was electric.
He said that the arguments in favor of fossil fuels are crumbling and insisted that they must be phased out. This, however, will not happen on its own, he warned, calling for an end to the world’s addiction to fossil fuels.
Mr. Guterres said that the third lesson is also the most difficult, referring to the continuing rise in global temperatures, and emphasized that the world must act more quickly.
“Climate justice is the defining challenge of the next decade,” he said, calling for the conclusion of a new pact on climate justice, based on shared responsibility and shared benefits, in which all countries would assume their fair share of responsibility.
As he noted, countries face a choice: either to embark on a just transition or to pay the price through chaos. He also insisted that polluters must pay.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Guterres, whose term as UN Secretary-General is coming to an end, stated that he will not stop speaking the truth or fighting for climate action.
“Let’s continue to fight for a sustainable future. I will be by your side every step of the way,” he said.
Source: CNA
