–O Adejo
At the 27th session of the Conference of Paris (COP27) on climate change, which is currently taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres has expressed concern about a lack of trust between the global North and South.
In his remarks on Thursday, Gutteres said that the breakdown of trust between developed and emerging economies was a recipe for mutually assured destruction.
He stated that there is no time for pointing fingers and that the blame game must end. He went on to urge all parties to seize the moment and focus on humanity’s greatest challenge.
The UN Secretary-General also urged all parties involved to take the kind of meaningful climate change action that the world desperately needed right now, noting that global emissions were at their highest in history and were still rising.
“Climate impacts are decimating economies and societies and are becoming more severe. We know what needs to be done, and we have the tools and resources to do it. The world is burning and drowning in front of our eyes, and I urge all parties to demonstrate that they see and understand this.
“Send a clear signal that those on the frontlines of the crisis are finally being heard. Reflect the urgency, scale, and enormity of the challenge confronting developing countries.”
He also urged all parties to address the emissions gap, emphasising that the 1.5 target was not about preserving a goal but about keeping people alive.
The developed world is also expected to provide $100 billion in climate finance to developing nations. Gutteres urged them to keep their promise by laying out a detailed plan for how the funds will be distributed.
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