Upcoming UN Report "Starkest Warning Yet", Climate Summit Chief Warns
"We can't afford to wait two years, five years, 10 years-this is the moment," Britain's COP26 President Alok Sharma said.
An upcoming UN report on climate change gives the international community its clearest ever warning about the dangers of accelerating climate change, Britain's COP26 President Alok Sharma said on Sunday.
The chief for the November summit due to be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow told the Observer newspaper a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due on Monday would show the world was on the brink of potential disaster.
"This is going to be the starkest warning yet that human behaviour is alarmingly accelerating global warming and this is why COP26 has to be the moment we get this right," Sharma said.
"We can't afford to wait two years, five years, 10 years-this is the moment," he added, explaining that unless nations "act now, we will unfortunately be out of time".
Sharma was forced to defend British fossil-fuel projects that include plans to license new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, which have proven embarrassing for Britain as it seeks to galvanise international action on climate change.
The Paris-based watchdog, the International Energy Agency (IAE), has warned all fossil fuel development and exploration must cease this year if the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius is to be met.
"Future (fossil fuel) licences are going to have to adhere to the fact we have committed to go to net zero by 2050 in legislation," the COP26 president said.
"There will be a climate check on any licences," he added.
A series of catastrophic emergencies in recent weeks including floods in Europe and China, record temperatures in North America and forest fires around the world have focused minds on global warming, Sharma said.
"We're seeing the impacts across the world," Sharma said. "Every day you will see a new high being recorded in one way or another across the world," he added.
Sharma said he was "throwing the kitchen sink" at efforts to reach a deal on the contentious target to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, holding a large number of virtual and in-person meetings as he looks to bring 197 countries together in consensus on the aim.
The chief for the November summit due to be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow told the Observer newspaper a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due on Monday would show the world was on the brink of potential disaster.
"This is going to be the starkest warning yet that human behaviour is alarmingly accelerating global warming and this is why COP26 has to be the moment we get this right," Sharma said.
"We can't afford to wait two years, five years, 10 years-this is the moment," he added, explaining that unless nations "act now, we will unfortunately be out of time".
Sharma was forced to defend British fossil-fuel projects that include plans to license new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, which have proven embarrassing for Britain as it seeks to galvanise international action on climate change.
The Paris-based watchdog, the International Energy Agency (IAE), has warned all fossil fuel development and exploration must cease this year if the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius is to be met.
"Future (fossil fuel) licences are going to have to adhere to the fact we have committed to go to net zero by 2050 in legislation," the COP26 president said.
"There will be a climate check on any licences," he added.
A series of catastrophic emergencies in recent weeks including floods in Europe and China, record temperatures in North America and forest fires around the world have focused minds on global warming, Sharma said.
"We're seeing the impacts across the world," Sharma said. "Every day you will see a new high being recorded in one way or another across the world," he added.
Sharma said he was "throwing the kitchen sink" at efforts to reach a deal on the contentious target to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, holding a large number of virtual and in-person meetings as he looks to bring 197 countries together in consensus on the aim.
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.
