December 12th, local time, the 2020 Climate Ambition Summit was held online. United Nations Secretary-General Guterres made a video speech, calling on all countries to fulfill their commitments as soon as possible and work towards zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Guterres said that in the five years since the signing of the Paris Agreement, countries have still not embarked on the right path in addressing climate change. He warned that if people do not act, human beings will face huge ecological destruction in this century.
Guterres said: “There are promises to keep the temperature rise (at the end of this century) to 1.5°C as much as possible, but the commitments made in Paris are far from enough to achieve this goal, and these commitments have not been kept.
Carbon dioxide levels have reached record highs, and today we are 1.2°C higher than before the Industrial Revolution. If no action is made (change of direction), temperatures may rise disastrously by 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.”
Guterres said that countries should declare a climate emergency before reaching carbon neutrality goals. He said that some countries have realized the seriousness of the climate problem and proposed carbon neutralization plans, and he called on other countries to take immediate action.
He said that the COVID-19 epidemic provides an opportunity to return social and economic development to a green path consistent with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in recovery.
However, the current recovery and economic stimulus plans of countries are still closely related to fossil fuels that cause greenhouse gas emissions.
Guterres said: “This is unacceptable. Billions of COVID-19 recovery funds we borrowed from future generations. It’s a moral test and we cannot use these resources to implement policies that cause future generations to face the huge debt of a broken planet.”
Guterres once again stressed that the central goal of the United Nations for 2021 will be to build a carbon-neutral global alliance by the mid-first century, but it is time for countries, major institutions and commercial companies to act now.
He called on key carbon-emission industries such as transportation and aviation to adopt a road map consistent with carbon neutrality.
Finally, he appealed: “Friends on earth, now is a critical moment and a time of hope. An increasing number of countries have committed to achieving zero emissions (greenhouse gas).
Business institutions have also embarked on the sustainable development train. We see many cities becoming greener and more livable; young people shoulder their responsibilities and demand action.
People’s attitudes are changing, and today’s environmental protection has become an indicator of leadership. This is what people and the earth need.
We have the blueprint, namely, the sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, but we still have to pass the competency test. Let’s make the promise of zero emissions a reality now.”
The 2020 Climate Ambition Summit, co-organized by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and France, among others, commemorates the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement.
More than 100 political, business and youth representatives, including United Nations Secretary-General Guterres, made statements at the summit. The organizers expect that at the 2020 Climate Ambition Summit, countries will make new and ambitious commitments to address climate change in accordance with the three pillars of the Paris Agreement commitment to Mitigation, Adaptation and Financing.
