Paris: UN Secretary‑General António Guterres referred to the latest United Nations report that indicates emissions will go up by 16 per cent by 2030 and warned that if this happens then it would be a “disaster with devastating consequences”.
Addressing the 2021 Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) Council at the ministerial level on October 5, 2021, Guterres pointed out that what was actually required was a global 45 per cent cut in emissions by 2030.
“In addition to the emissions gap, we face a finance gap,” he said and pointed out that the OECD itself reported that the pledge to mobilize $100 billion annually to support developing countries was far off course.
According to him, the world needed more bold and urgent action on the following three fronts:
- Mitigation: “We must commit to carbon neutrality by mid‑century and to concrete 2030 emissions reductions targets that will get us there, backed up with credible actions now. OECD countries that have not submitted more ambitious nationally determined contributions must do so before Glasgow (Earth Summit). And everyone should commit to phase out coal power generation by 2030 – the single most important step to keep the 1.5 degree goal alive.”
- Finance: “We must implement the promised $100 billion a year, fully leveraging the resources of both international financial institutions and the private sector. We also need to solve the issue of access to climate finance. Leaders of vulnerable countries have made it clear that political attention is paramount to cut red tape, address eligibility issues, and ease speed in delivery. Meaningful political signals at COP26 [Twenty‑sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] are essential to reassure developing countries.”
- Adaptation: “We must scale up funding to support adaptation and build resilience to at least 50 per cent of total public climate finance. Here too, huge gaps remain.”
Guterres said his message is simple: “don’t wait for others to make the first move. I count on you to do your part. Not tomorrow, but today.”
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken told OECD Council that “immediate, bold action” was required to prevent cataclysmic consequences, to build resilience and adapt to the unavoidable impacts, while also moving with greater urgency to achieve a net-zero world.
Together, OECD countries that account for over 60 per cent of world GDP, produce more than 28 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. “What we do – what we do will have a massive impact on our ability to meet our target of limiting global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius,” he said.
– global bihari bureau
