The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called for critical COP28 talks in Dubai to outline ‘drastic climate action’, warning that the world is far off track when it comes to addressing global warming. In a new report, the UN has warned that countries’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gases are not enough to prevent warming well beyond safe limits, potentially reaching a catastrophic 2.9 degrees Celsius this century.
Guterres emphasized the need for leaders to take action, stating that current trends are leading the planet towards a dangerous increase of three degrees in temperature. He criticized the failure of leadership and the betrayal of the vulnerable, calling for an increased ambition in national plans to align with 1.5 degrees and end the use of fossil fuels.
The United Nations has warned that based on current policies, the planet is on track for disastrous warming of 2.5 to 2.9 degrees by 2100. Despite efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the world continues to release record levels of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, with emissions rising by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022, largely driven by fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes.
The upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai will be crucial in addressing these issues and defining the necessary steps to combat climate change.