The world is “clinging towards climate catastrophe, warned UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres, who called on major powers to ditch their reliance on fossil fuels.
The goal of limiting the rise in temperature to +1.5ºC compared to the preindustrial era is “in intensive care”, explained Guterres at the conference on sustainable development organized by The Economist in London.
According to the UN, emissions would have to be reduced by 45% by 2030 in order not to exceed this threshold of +1.5ºC. But emissions continue to rise and the planet has already reached +1.1ºC, which, according to scientists studying climate change, multiplies extreme phenomena such as major droughts or catastrophic floods.
“The problem is getting worse,” Guterres said in a prerecorded video message, recalling that in 2020 climaterelated disasters have already forced 30 million people to leave their homes, “ie three times more than the number displaced by conflict.” .”.
“If we continue like this, we can say goodbye to the 1.5 degree target. And the +2 degrees could also be unattainable, he added.