Antalya (Turkey), Nov 14 (Kartik 28).
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that although it appears difficult to prevent global temperature rise from temporarily exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius, immediate and comprehensive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are vital to minimize both its duration and impact.
Addressing the final press conference of the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) here on Thursday, he highlighted the necessity of cutting global emissions by roughly six percent annually over the next few years.
He pointed out that even if all current climate commitments submitted under Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are fully implemented, the world still risks pushing temperature increases beyond 2.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
“Our responsibility is to keep the overshoot above 1.5 degrees as minimal and brief as possible, and to bring temperatures back down below 1.5 degrees as quickly as we can,” Secretary-General Guterres said. He stressed that a prolonged and uncontrolled temperature overshoot will intensify current destructive climate impacts, making the call for climate justice even more critical.
Highlighting the need for increased financial support for developing nations and countries highly vulnerable to climate change to address adaptation and loss and damage, he urged developed countries to fulfill the financial commitments made at previous COP summits. “Even if adaptation finance were tripled, it would still fulfill less than thirty percent of the actual requirement,” he noted.
Secretary-General Guterres identified fossil fuels as the primary driver of the climate crisis and underscored the need to accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable global transition away from them. He emphasized that since fossil fuel dependence exposes nations to price hikes, geopolitical tensions, and instability, reducing reliance is far more important than merely changing suppliers. He stated that achieving this requires massive investments and expansion in clean energy, power grids, energy storage, energy efficiency, and clean electrification.
He expressed the view that climate change should not be viewed merely as an environmental issue, but must be connected with peace, development, human rights, and social justice. He noted that climate-induced disasters are instigating global instability by aggravating hunger, displacement, poverty, debt burdens, and competition for natural resources.
“There can be no peace on a burning planet. Poverty cannot be eradicated when climate disasters push people back into poverty over and over again,” he stated. Highlighting that countries and communities that have contributed the least to the climate crisis are bearing the heaviest burdens, the Secretary-General asserted that international cooperation and financial support are indispensable to ensuring climate justice.
Stressing the need to align the COP process to bridge the gap between scientific demands and political commitments, he called for addressing the disproportionate influence exerted by fossil fuel lobbyists. He commended key initiatives put forward by the COP30 presidency, including roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation, clean electrification, the global zero-waste commitment, the expansion of power grids, and the implementation of early warning systems for all.
Emphasizing that the transformation in renewable energy technologies and economies has elevated the potential for a clean, secure, and reliable energy future, he noted that political will, courage, and swift implementation are imperative.
Participating in his final COP conference in his capacity as Secretary-General after nearly a decade in office, he made it clear that no single country can face climate change alone. He also shared that the United Nations has further reinforced action-oriented cooperation in areas such as early warning systems, power grids, methane emissions, and critical minerals. “We share a single planet, and whether we like it or not, we share a common destiny,” he remarked.
Concluding his remarks and bidding farewell from Antalya, Secretary-General Guterres delivered a final message to the global community: “Let’s face the facts, follow the science, choose the future, and never give up.” COP31, currently underway in Antalya, Turkey, is being held from November 9 to 20.
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