UN Warns World's Running Out Of Time On Climate Change
Reporter Ron Chang ㅣ 2021-09-17 14:03
Smoke and steam rise from the coal-fired Urumqi Thermal Power Plant in western China. (Photo: AP-Yonhap)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says November's climate summit in Glasgow must be the turning point in humanity's fight to limit global warming.
According to a landmark multi-agency climate report published Thursday, greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, and the planet is on path towards dangerous overheating.
It added that the temporary reduction in carbon emissions caused by global COVID-19 lockdowns did not slow the relentless advance of climate change.
In a video message, Guterres said he was alarmed by how far off course the world currently was and stressed that if temperature rises were to be limited to just 1.5 percent, there had to be immediate cuts in emissions on a huge scale.
[Clip: Guterres] "We really are out of time. We must act now to prevent further irreversible damage. COP 26 this November must mark a turning point. By then, we need all countries to commit to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century and to present clear, credible, long-term strategies to get there."