UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that there is a “dangerous” difference between what citizens demand to slow down climate change and what governments are actually doing about it.
According to António Guterres, science and its citizens demand ambitious and transformative climate action.
– At the same time, many governments are dragging their feet. This passivity has serious consequences, he says in a statement via a link to a climate conference in Austria.
Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 45 percent this decade, but are currently expected to rise by 14 percent, says António Guterres.
He urges all countries to stop using coal altogether by 2040, and that rich countries should do so by 2030. Instead, they should focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, according to the Secretary-General.
– The peace plan for the 21st century is renewable, he says.