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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/01/climate-optimism-is-an-illusion-un-chief-tells-cop26>
"Optimistic assessments of progress on tackling the climate crisis were “an
illusion”, the UN secretary general has said in a scathing critique of world
leaders’ efforts so far to cut greenhouse gas emissions and stave off climate
breakdown.
António Guterres, greeting leaders gathering for the Cop26 summit, roundly
dismissed the suggestion that the climate situation was improving, and he
exhorted the more than 120 heads of government to “choose to safeguard our
future and save humanity” instead of continuing with the addiction to fossil
fuels.
“Recent climate action announcements might give the impression that we are on
track to turn things around. This is an illusion,” he told the conference in
Glasgow.
G20 leaders met at the weekend without making fresh commitments to further cuts
in greenhouse gas emissions, though they did agree on the importance of taking
action this decade. Scientists say emissions must be cut by about 45% by 2030
compared with 2010 levels, to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above
pre-industrial levels, the threshold of safety.
The UK, as host of Cop26, has set as its aim to “keep 1.5C alive”. Two days of
talks among world leaders will be followed by nearly a fortnight of tense
negotiations by officials with the aim of producing a global deal to get on
track for the emissions cuts necessary.
But Guterres said nations were still far off track on their plans to cut
greenhouse gas emissions as the conference opened. Without further commitments,
he said, countries could be forced to return to the negotiating table not every
five years, as set out in the Paris agreement, but every year."
Via Robert Sanscartier.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
