Speaking at a climate summit in Belem, Brazil, Guterres called for “urgent action to accelerate the global transition to clean energy.”
He emphasized that investments in clean energy have already reached $2 trillion, and this is $0.8 trillion more than invested in the extraction of fossil resources.
“Despite the progress made, we are still heading towards dangerous warming. Even if all new national commitments are fully implemented, the world will still continue to move towards warming well above two degrees. This means more floods, more heat, more suffering – everywhere,” Guterres said.
According to experts, the world will warm by 1.5 degrees by the beginning of the 2030s.
The UN Secretary General called, in particular, for the abolition of subsidies for fossil fuels, because they “distort the market and interfere with progress.”
“Let's act quickly and coherently. It is necessary to make justice the engine of acceleration and build an economy that is clean, inclusive and sustainable. The era of fossil fuels is ending. Demand for clean energy is growing. Let's make this transition fair, quick and final,” Guterres was quoted as saying at the UN.
