Budapest Post

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

Our fossil fuel addiction must end, UN chief tells World Economic Forum

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, used his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday to urge world leaders and businesses to expand their efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

He also called on business leaders to provide “credible and transparent” plans by the end of the year on how they intend to achieve net-zero.

Guterres warned that many businesses had set their climate targets based on “dubious or murky” criteria, which can “mislead consumers, investors and regulators with false narratives.”

“It feeds a culture of climate misinformation and confusion and leaves the door open to ‘greenwashing,’” he told delegates at the WEF’s Annual Meeting.

“The transition to net-zero must be grounded in real emissions cuts and not rely essentially on carbon credits and shadow markets. That is why we (the UN) created an Expert Group on Net-Zero Emissions Commitments.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 18, 2023.

Guterres warned that time is running out to prevent disasters linked to man-made climate from growing in scale and frequency.

“We are looking into the eye of a Category 5 storm,” he added.

To avert the worst effects of climate change, scientists say any rise in global temperatures must be limited to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The average surface temperature of the planet has already increased by about 1.8 C since the late 1800s.

Guterres urged the world to “end the addiction to fossil fuels,” warning that the aspirational goal of limiting warming to 1.5 C was “going up in smoke.”

“Fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production, knowing full well that this business model is inconsistent with human survival,” he said.

“This insanity belongs in science fiction, yet we know the ecosystem meltdown is cold, hard scientific fact.”

The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 countries at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference, COP21, committed nations to scaling up their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent before 2030.

It also obliged them to build resilience against the adverse effects of climate change, uphold and promote regional and international cooperation in efforts to limit global warming to the 1.5 C target, and to reach net-zero by 2050.

To date, 137 countries have committed to achieving carbon neutrality, as tracked by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, an independent advisory organization in the UK. Of those, 124 have set targets for 2050.

Bhutan and Suriname are the only two nations to date that have achieved carbon neutrality and are, in fact, carbon negative. Twenty-four countries have set their climate targets as official policy. They include Brazil, China, Germany and the US, which are some of the world’s largest emitters. Five countries are preparing legislation, including Canada, South Korea and several EU member states.

However, even if the 193 parties to the Paris Agreement implement their existing commitments, it is estimated that global greenhouse gas emissions would still increase by almost 11 percent by 2030, compared with 2010.

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
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×