UNITED STATES: The UN secretary-general, António Guterres, has warned that unless wealthy nations and developing nations make a “historic pact” on climate change, “we will be doomed.”
Climate negotiations are on the verge of collapse due to a widening gap between rich and developing nations.
The stern warning comes as world leaders begin to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the UN Cop27 climate summit, which begins on Sunday but which even the hosts acknowledge will be the most challenging in at least a decade.
The Ukraine War, a spiraling global cost of living crisis, and escalating economic doom are all factors contributing to the worst geopolitical tensions in years as Cop27 takes place.
However, Guterres emphasized that a bridge must be built between the two if humanity can have any chance of averting the worst effects of climate change.
Developed countries have neither reduced greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough nor given developing countries the resources they need to deal with the harsh weather that has resulted from this.
According to Guterres, the main concern during the discussions is the obvious climate injustice between the wealthy, who produce the majority of emissions, and the underprivileged, who suffer the most from the effects.
Some have criticized Guterres for his increasingly bleak rhetoric on the climate catastrophe, warning of impending “carnage,” “collective suicide,” and “code red” for humanity.
However, he stressed that given how serious the current state of the climate emergency was, he would not back down from using ominous language.
Tipping points in the climate system are thresholds that, when crossed, have a domino effect. They include the permafrost melting, which releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that intensifies warming, and the drying Amazon rainforest, which will soon transition from being an absorber to a source of carbon, which experts believe is imminent.
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