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| Niger is faced with a food-deficit and low-income levels. WFP/Simon Pierre Diouf |
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And against the backdrop of threatened lives, crippled businesses and damaged economies, the UN chief warned the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also under threat.
“The highest cost is the cost of doing nothing”, he spelled out, underscoring the need to urgently “strengthen resilience and cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees” above pre-industrial levels, to mitigate climate change.
Political will required
Heartened by technology and public opinion, especially among the younger generations, he observed that many cities and businesses are taking action.
“But we still lack the necessary political will”, he said, advocating for “significantly more ambition” on mitigation, adaptation and financing.
On mitigation, all countries must commit to carbon neutrality by 2050. And developing countries – least responsible for climate change but most vulnerable to its impacts – need resilience-building support. This requires adequate financing, beginning with a promised $100 billion dollars a year for mitigation and adaptation efforts, added Mr. Guterres.
‘Profound opportunity’
In planning the coronavirus pandemic recovery, there is “a profound opportunity” to steer the world on “a path that tackles climate change, protects the environment, reverses biodiversity loss and ensures the long-term health and security of humankind”, the Secretary-General said.
“By making the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient growth, we can create a world that is clean, green, safe, just and more prosperous for all”, he emphasized.
As such, he proposed six different climate-related actions that countries can take, to shape the recovery.
#COVID19 has exposed the fragility of our societies to global shocks, such as disease or the climate crisis.Recognizing that like the coronavirus, greenhouse gases respect no boundaries, Mr. Guterres maintained that isolation is a trap in which “no country can succeed alone”.
As we recover, we must build a better future for all.
Together, we can protect our planet, improve health, reduce inequality & re-energize struggling economies.#PCD11 pic.twitter.com/C8CgIvcdtG
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 28, 2020
“We already have a common framework for action – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change”, he reminded.
Carbon neutrality by 2050
Pointing out that 121 States have already committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, the Secretary-General asked all countries to “prepare enhanced national climate action plans”, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), “to reach net zero emissions by 2050”.
“I encourage the European Union to continue showing global leadership by presenting, by the end of the year, a Nationally Determined Contribution in line with its commitment to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050”, he said.
“The key to tackling the climate crisis is the big emitters”, upheld Mr. Guterres.
Noting that the world’s 20 leading economies collectively account for more than 80 per cent of global emissions and over 85 per cent of the global economy, he flagged that “all of them must also commit to carbon neutrality by 2050”.
“Without the contribution of the big emitters, all our efforts risk to be doomed”, he conceded.
“Let us use the pandemic recovery to provide a foundation for a safe, healthy, inclusive and more resilient world for all people”.
Links
- UN Secretary-General's remarks to Petersberg Climate Dialogue
- UN Sustainable Development Goals
- UN Sustainable Development Agenda
- UN Climate Change Paris Agreement
- The Solutions To The Climate Crisis No One Is Talking About
- There’s Less Than A Decade Left Before Climate Change Becomes Irreversible—Here’s What Activists Say We Can Do About It
- (AU) Tackling Climate Change Is Vital For The Strongest Economic Recovery After Coronavirus
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