The world is marching "
with eyes closed towards climate catastrophe
", UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Monday, March 21, deploring that despite
the "worsening
" of the situation, the major economies continue to let their greenhouse gas emissions increase.
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The objective of limiting the rise in temperatures to +1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, the most ambitious objective of the Paris agreement, is in "
critical care
", he said. said at a conference on sustainable development organized by The Economist in London.
According to the UN, it would be necessary to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 to hope to limit the rise in temperatures to +1.5°C.
But emissions are still on the rise and the planet has gained an average of around +1.1°C since the pre-industrial era, multiplying heat waves, droughts, storms or catastrophic floods.
"
The problem is getting worse
," said Antonio Guterres in a pre-recorded video message, recalling that in 2020, climate disasters had already "
driven 30 million people from their homes - three times more than the number of people displaced by conflicts
”.
“
We are walking with our eyes closed towards climate catastrophe
” and “
if we continue like this, we can say goodbye to the 1.5°C objective.
That of 2°C could also be out of reach
”.
But even if nations honor commitments made in Paris, emissions are still expected to rise by 14% before the end of the decade, leading to “
catastrophic ” global warming.
of 2.7°C, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations.
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Fossil addiction 'madness'
Criticizing a form
of "naive optimism
" at the end of COP26 in Glasgow this fall, the UN chief described
the persistent dependence on fossil fuels as "
madness ".
"
This addiction to fossil fuels is driving us towards collective destruction
," he said, hours before the start of a two-week meeting to validate a landmark IPCC report on scenarios for limiting global warming, breaking down opportunities by broad sectors and aiming to increase carbon storage and absorption.
This report should conclude that CO2 emissions must reach a peak within a few years if we want to reach the temperature objectives set in Paris.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Antonio Guterres added, could further derail climate action, with many countries embarking on a frantic search for new gas and oil supplies to replace their imports. Russians, thus reinforcing their dependence on fossil fuels.
Last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a bombshell report concluding that a 1.5°C world was incompatible with any new oil or gas, or any new coal-fired power plant.
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Breaking with the usual practice of not naming specific countries, Antonio Guterres blamed Australia and a "
handful of holdouts
" for failing to come up with "
meaningful
" short-term plans to cut emissions.
China and India, both heavily dependent on coal, have refused to fully embrace the 1.5°C target and set more ambitious short-term emission reduction targets.
“
The good news, he nuanced, is that all G20 governments – including China, Japan and Korea – have agreed to no longer finance coal abroad
”.
"
They must now urgently do the same at home
," pleaded Antonio Guterres.
It is incumbent on rich nations to provide the money, technology and know-how to help emerging economies eliminate coal from their energy portfolios, he added, citing the example of a ground-breaking deal struck with South Africa, unveiled at COP26 in Glasgow.