Antonio Guterres spoke in advance of the COP27 session in Egypt, amid growing dissatisfaction among poorer nations that contribute little to greenhouse gas emissions but bear the brunt of climate change’s consequences.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that unless wealthy nations sign a climate agreement with developing nations, “we will all perish.”
Ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, Mr. Guterres stated that wealthy nations must assist developing nations in accelerating their transition to renewable energy.
“COP27 must be the venue for closing the gaps in ambition, credibility, and solidarity,” he stated.
It must put us back on track for reducing emissions, bolstering climate resilience and adaptation, honoring the promise regarding climate finance, and addressing climate-related losses and damages.
By burning coal, oil, and natural gas, the rich nations have emitted more than their fair share of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile, poorer nations such as Pakistan, where 33 million people were devastated by recent floods, have sustained more harm than their share of carbon emissions.
After COP26 in Glasgow last year, the UN Environment Programme estimated that developing countries required $70 billion annually for adaptation, an amount that is expected to treble by 2030.
Before this conference, poorer nations demanded financial assistance from rich nations, requesting a fund to recompense them for irreparable climate-related harm.
But the summit concluded without a settlement; the $356 million pledged fell well short of what was required for adaptation, and affluent nations rejected the loss and damage fund.
Mr. Guterres stated that achieving “concrete achievements” regarding loss and damage is “the litmus test of the commitment of the nations” at the conference.
He added: “The problem of loss and damage has been perpetually postponed.
There is no longer any room for delay.
We must acknowledge loss and harm and establish an institutional structure to address it.
Sunday marks the beginning of COP27 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which will last through November 18.
Mr. Guterres stated that this comes while greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase by 10% and temperatures are expected to climb by up to 2.8C by the end of the century.
“This means that our planet is on track to approach tipping points that will result in irreversible climate catastrophe and catastrophic temperature rise,” he warned.
This is despite the Paris Agreement of 2015 requiring temperature increases to be confined to 1.5C, a target he described as “in intensive care” but “still achievable.”
