UN chief calls on world to shift to sustainable energy systems

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on the international community to make efforts to shift to sustainable energy systems.

"We need to shift to sustainable energy systems - everywhere," the UN chief said in his video message for the Sustainable Energy For All Forum hosted by the government of Rwanda.

"The addiction to fossil fuels must end, starting with coal, by 2030 in OECD countries, and 2040 everywhere else," the secretary-general added.

The top UN official said that closing the energy access gap and ending energy poverty is crucial to delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"It is also fundamental to tackling the climate crisis," said the secretary-general.

"To limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees (Celsius), we need to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and transform energy production," he said.

Guterres pointed out that in many countries, solar and wind are already the cheapest source of energy.

"The renewable energy sector generates three times as many jobs as the fossil fuel sector," he said.

On the commitment of the developed countries, the UN chief said that they "must honor their promise to provide 100 billion U.S. dollars a year for climate action in developing countries."

"Together, let us pursue an agenda that is good for both people and planet, and build a sustainable, just and equitable energy future for all," he said.