Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the various promises were “encouraging” but “far from insufficient”. The objective must be the exit from fossil fuels.
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The promises to reduce CO2 emissions to limit global warming will not have the desired effect if nothing is done to phase out fossil fuels, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, told COP26 on Thursday 11 November. “The promises ring hollow when this industry continues to receive trillions in subsidies (…) or when countries continue to build coal plants”, he added, recognizing in spite of everything “encouraging announcements” in Glasgow (Scotland) since the start of the climate conference.
“The announcements here in Glasgow are encouraging, but far from sufficient”, he insisted. The gap between the emission reductions to which States have committed and what it takes to limit warming to +1.5 ° C, “is still an overwhelming threat”. And the financial needs of southern countries to adapt to the impacts of global warming are “a flagrant injustice”, he insisted.
“Everyone must be on the bridge for climate action. It is everyone’s responsibility”, underlined the Secretary General of the United Nations. “Every country, every city, every company, every financial institution must radically, with credibility and in a verifiable way, reduce its emissions, and decarbonize its portfolios, starting right away”. Urgently calling on States to strengthen their ambition to reduce emissions, he called for their current commitments “come true” : “We must bridge the real and deep credibility gap”.