UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to declare a climate emergency. He made the remarks at a virtual conference on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement.
He criticized rich countries for spending too much money on fossil fuels instead of reducing carbon emissions.
Leaders from more than 70 countries are expected to address the conference, hosted by the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and France. Guterres said 38 countries have already declared a climate emergency. He called on the rest of the world to follow suit.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations says the state of emergency will end as soon as carbon emissions fall to zero. He commented that the cost of dealing with corona is the cost of the next generation’s share.
Guterres thanked those who attended the conference for their new plans and goals. Australia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Mexico did not attend the conference. They have termed the steps taken to combat climate change as ambitious.
Earlier on Friday night, top EU leaders in Brussels were embroiled in a heated debate over the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
After a long debate, they have agreed to set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030.
