UN climate report sets out ‘red alert’ for our planet

On Friday, the UN chief Antonio Guterres recognized 2021 as a breakthrough in facing the global climate crisis. He argued that the United Nations report on this matter is a "red alert" for our planet.

According to the UN Secretary-General, who cites scientific research, in order to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emissions (carbon dioxide) should be reduced by 45 percent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. Long-term pledges, he stressed, must be accompanied by immediate action.

"It is high time. There is a growing global coalition committed to zero net emissions by 2050. It includes governments, businesses, investors, cities, regions, and civil society. COVID-19 recovery plans offer the possibility of a greener and cleaner (environment),” Guterres stated.

According to the UN Secretary-General, a decade of transformation that people and the planet so badly need is necessary.

The report of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) shows that states are making efforts that are far from what is needed to effectively combat global warming. The document calls for more ambitious plans to achieve the Paris Agreement and limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Patricia Espinosa, noted that the report was only "a fragment, not a complete picture" of the actual situation. It justified this with the challenges of many countries related to the battle against Covid-19.

(PAP)