UN Report Lays Bare Poor Intent, Poorer Achievement In Climate Change Fight

Worried by the findings of the ‘State of the Climate Report for 2021’ by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has come up with a five-point strategy to heighten the broader use of renewable energy in the world. The UN Chief wants the world to give heed to the climate change menace which is consistently being reported by WMO. It has said that the greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean heat, sea-level rise and ocean acidification hit new records last year.

The WMO’s State of the Climate Report for 2021, which said the last seven years were the seven hottest on record causing deaths and disease, migration and economic losses in the hundreds of billions of dollars — and the fallout is continuing this year. “We must end fossil fuel pollution and accelerate the renewable energy transition before we incinerate our only home. Time is running out,” said Antonio Guterres.

“Today’s State of the Climate report is a dismal litany of humanity’s failure to tackle climate disruption. The global energy system is broken and bringing us ever closer to climate catastrophe.” The UN Chief wants faster technology transfer and lifting of intellectual property protections in renewable technologies before the next UNFCCC conference takes place in November in Egypt. Guterres wants easier world access raw materials employed in renewable technologies where just a few countries have a hold. He also wants governments fast-track solar and wind projects besides doing away state led subsidies for fossil fuels.

He further said, “While people suffer from high prices at the pump, the oil and gas industry is raking in billions from a distorted market. This scandal must stop.” Guterres has also mentioned that the private and public investments in renewable energy must triple to $4 trillion dollars annually at least. He noted that government subsidies for fossil fuels are today more than three times higher than those for renewables.