Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Climate crisis 'sliding down agenda', warns global energy watchdog

Climate crisis 'sliding down agenda', warns global energy watchdog

The mood in Davos seemed to lack the urgency needed to keep global warming to 1.5C, says Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, which has said if the world is to reach net zero it must refrain from any new oil and gas exploration projects.

Climate change is slipping down the international agenda, raising the risk governments will slow their pace in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the head of a global energy watchdog has told Sky News.

Speaking on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the mood at the Swiss resort seemed to lack the urgency needed to keep global warming to 1.5C.

The organisation he leads works with countries around the world to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future.

But Mr Birol said: "I have the feeling that climate change and its urgency is sliding down the agenda.

"The energy crisis is very important - it's crucial.

"The food crisis is very important.

"But the climate crisis is very important as well.

"I don't see the commitment and engagement from people that I have seen in the last few years… It is not something that we can forget and it is a real issue."


Fatih Birol met with climate activists in Davos.

The comments came as climate protestors, including Greta Thunberg, marched in Davos, urging investors gathered here not to put more money into new fossil fuel projects.

Most of the WEF attendees had already left the summit by the time of Friday's march, but Ms Thunberg and others met the previous day with Mr Birol, whose institution has said if the world is to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions it must refrain from any new oil and gas exploration projects.

The forum's annual winter meetings - the first to take place since 2020 - were dominated by discussion about the global economy and by Ukraine.

While climate discussions remained prominent, they were less prominent than at that last meeting.

'It's either now or never'


Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, argued it was now incumbent on her fellow politicians to address the challenge.

She told Sky News: "We are the last generation of politicians that can address this.

"Previous ones didn't. It's either now or never. Our voters want it from us. Our younger generations want it from us. If we don't decide, we can't leave it to them."

The four-day conference came to an end on Friday.

While it was less well-attended than in previous years, it nonetheless drew in political leaders from around the world.

A notable exception was the UK, which did not send either its prime minister or chancellor for the first time in nearly two decades.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×