UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has rallied world leaders attending the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan to do more to protect their people from the ravages of the climate crisis.
The UN boss told a packed auditorium in Baku that it’s incumbent upon the leaders to ensure they pool resources fast enough to avert the rapid rise of global temperature to 1.5°C failing which every economy will face far greater fury.
“Excellencies and friends, the sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side,” he said.
Guterres said evidence already shows temperatures are rising exponentially with the world having already witnessed the hottest day on record, the hottest months on record and 2024 is almost certain to be the hottest year on record.
Describing it as a master class in climate destruction, Guterres said climate change has sent families running for their lives before the next hurricane strikes, workers and pilgrims collapsing in insufferable heat, floods tearing through communities and infrastructure and children going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops.
He said the ripple effect of the disasters is felt in the economy everywhere where supply chain shocks raise costs, destroyed harvests push up food prices and destroyed homes increase insurance premiums.
“And all these disasters, and more, are being supercharged by human-made climate change. And no country is spared,” the UN boss told delegates at the summit.
He described as absurd the doubling down on fossil fuels saying the clean energy revolution is here and no group, business or government can stop it.
Guterres called on the leaders to deliver on their pledge to move their countries from the use of fossil fuels, a pledge they made at the COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The UN boss called for climate financing saying climate action is an investment that cannot be treated as an option.
“But you can and must ensure it is fair, and fast enough to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The rich cause the problem; the poor pay the highest price. Oxfam finds the richest billionaires emit more carbon in an hour and a half than the average person does in a lifetime,” he said.
Developing countries eager to act, he said, are facing many obstacles: scant public finance; raging cost of capital; crushing climate disasters; and debt servicing that soaks up funds.
"Developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed. A deal is a must and I’m confident it will be reached."
The UN boss said for the world to avert the rise of
global temperature to 1.5°C, countries must cut global emissions
nine per cent every year and slash global fossil fuel production and
consumption 30 per cent by the same date.
He said global emissions must be down 43 per cent on 2019 levels by 2030 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
“Now at this COP, you must agree to rules for fair, effective carbon markets that support that fight,” Guterres said.
