UN chief calls for climate action

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at an end-of-year press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Dec. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that he will convene a Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for climate action and announced that he will convene a Climate Ambition Summit to galvanize it.

"Climate change is another area where good news can be hard to find. We are still moving in the wrong direction," he told an end-of-year press conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

The global emissions gap is growing. The 1.5-degree goal is gasping for breath. National climate plans are falling woefully short, he warned.

"And yet, we are not retreating. We are fighting back," he said.

"We are fighting back to help emerging economies shift away from coal and accelerate the renewable energy revolution. This year, major multi-billion dollar Just Energy Transition Partnerships were launched with Indonesia, South Africa and just last week, Vietnam.

"We are fighting back to restore trust between North and South. This year, COP27 delivered a groundbreaking pathway on the long-stalled issue of loss and damage.

"We are fighting back to cut through the fog of greenwashing. This year, our high-level expert group launched a 'how-to' guide on the credible implementation of net-zero pledges for businesses, investors, cities and regions.

"We are fighting back to ensure protection plans for humanity in the face of worsening climate disasters and natural ecosystems. This year, we launched an action plan to cover every person in the world with early-warning systems within five years," he said.

Going forward, he said, he will keep pushing for a Climate Solidarity Pact, in which all big emitters make an extra effort to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5-degree goal and ensure support for those who need it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R, Rear) attends an end-of-year press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Dec. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

Without such a pact, the 1.5-degree goal will soon disappear, he warned.

"I have pulled no punches on the imperative for all of us to confront this existential threat. And I will not relent," said the UN chief.

He announced that he will convene a Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023.

"I call on every leader to step up -- from governments, business, cities and regions, civil society and finance. They must come with new, tangible and credible climate action to accelerate the pace of change. The invitation is open. But there is a price of entry and the price of entry is non-negotiable -- credible, serious and new climate action and nature-based solutions that will move the needle forward and respond to the urgency of the climate crisis must be presented."

It will be a no-nonsense summit -- no exceptions, no compromises. There will be no room for back-sliders, greenwashers, blame-shifters or repackaging of announcements of previous years, he said.