UN chief calls on state leaders to break the “deadly cycle” of global warming

“We are trapped in a deadly cycle”, warned, Monday, November 27, the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres. Returning from a trip to Antarctica, “sleeping giant (…) awakened by climate chaos”, he warned world leaders who will be gathered for COP28 which takes place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. During this event, “leaders must break this cycle”he insisted.

“What happens in Antarctica does not stay in Antarctica. We live in an interconnected world”he added, discussing the consequences of the loss of ice from this continent on rising sea levels and the dangers for coastal cities and communities around the world. “Ice reflects the sun’s rays. When it disappears, the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs more heatcontinued Antonio Guterres. This means more warming, which means more storms, floods, fires and droughts across the globe. And more melting, which means even more warming.”

Antarctica has already experienced accelerated ice loss in recent decades and scientists estimate that the West Antarctic ice sheet – which contains enough water to raise ocean levels by several meters – could approach of a “tipping point” climatic. “Leaders must not let the hopes of people around the world for a sustainable planet fade. They must make COP28 count”insisted Antonio Guterres, calling once again to get out of “the era of fossil fuels” used for human activities and responsible for warming the Earth.