World is on the verge of a climate abyss, says UN chief

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning yesterday about the lack of progress on tackling climate change, saying mankind was on the “verge of the abyss”.

Launching the UN’s annual State of the Global Climate report in New York, Mr Guterres said humanity was “way off track” in keeping global pollution levels and rising temperatures under control.

“The data in this report should alarm us all,” Mr Guterres said. “The six years since 2015 have been the hottest on record.”

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, most world governments have pledged to keep global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial times and to strive to limit it to 1.5°C.

The planet has so far warmed by 1.2°C and is heading for at least 3°C this century – raising the risk of bushfires, droughts, floods, hurricanes and other extreme weather that could threaten global security.

“This is truly a pivotal year for humanity’s future,” the UN chief said.

He urged leaders to quickly submit ambitious 10-year climate targets, known as nationally determined contributions in the Paris deal.

Countries must reach “net-zero emissions” by 2050, meaning they would emit no more carbon dioxide and other planet-heating gases than they can offset through measures such as planting trees.

Governments should stop helping fossil-fuel companies and switch subsidies to renewable energy, he said.

Coal should be phased out in rich countries by 2030 and elsewhere by 2040.

“No new coal power plants should be built,” Mr Guterres said.

US President Joe Biden will host an online climate conference this week with other world leaders in a renewed effort to prevent worsening climate chaos.

The US and China on Sunday said they had agreed to work together and do more to fight climate change.

Mr Biden’s online summit this week takes place before global climate talks in Glasgow in November.