In his recent speech delivered yesterday morning during General Debate of the 73rd session, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres has concentrated on “two epochal challenges”, which have taken on surpassing urgency – “direct existential thread of climate change” and the new risks associated with advances in technology.
In respect to climate change the UN top official has underscored the crucial role of the government policies and multilateral cooperation.“Governments need to be courageous and smart. That means ending trillions of dollars in subsidies for fossil fuels. It means establishing an adequate price for carbon.It means stopping investments in unsustainable infrastructurethat lock in bad practices for decades to come”, said António Guterres and expressed his concern about the outcome and insufficient progress of recent negotiations in Bangkoktowards implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement.
The guidelines are to be adopted in December on COP 24 in Poland. “Far from being a fundamental threat to the economy, climate action is generating new industries, new markets, more jobs and less dependency on fossil fuels. That is why, next September, I will convene a Climate Summit to mobilize action and finance. We will bring together countries and cities, the real economy and real politics, business, finance and civil society, to focus on the heart of the problem. The Summit will take place one year before countries have to enhance their national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. Only a significantly higher level of ambition will do – and the Summit will be an opportunity for leaders and partners to showcase their ambition” – concluded the UN Secretary General.
