UN 
(UNITED NATIONS) By Bünyamin Sürmeli – United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Secretary-General Guterres highlighted that the success of COP28 relies on specific areas: “Significantly reducing emissions, accelerating a fair transition to renewable energy, and ensuring equitable climate policies for developing countries.”
Moreover, Guterres stressed the importance of heeding the voice of science, emphasizing that limiting the rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is achievable only through the complete cessation and gradual elimination of all fossil fuel usage.
Calling upon fossil fuel companies to avert reaching the five-degree Celsius target, the Secretary-General urged against replicating outdated business models, leading the way to renewable energy, and advocated for governments to enforce regulations guiding the fossil fuel industry’s correct steps. He further urged the cessation of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of carbon taxes to establish fair pricing for carbon.
Secretary-General Guterres also spoke at the Local Climate Action Summit, urging local leaders to formulate plans for achieving Net Zero targets, develop national climate policies, and invest in renewable energy sources.
Among Guterres’s initiatives is the establishment of two methane-related reporting units by the UN Environment Programme. These reports highlight the potential for high-tech, accessible, and reliable data to revolutionize reporting systems, accelerating climate action and reducing emissions.
Emphasizing the urgent need for a significant reduction in recorded methane emissions in the hemisphere, aiming for a 40% to 45% reduction in global methane emissions by 2030 was underscored.
Additionally, data from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification revealed the urgency of major impacts such as droughts. Global growth is exacerbating adverse effects, prompting the need for more sectors to take positive cues and adopt effective water management measures to boost global growth.
Finally, a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlighted the heightened threat to agricultural food systems from climate change and losses/damage. The report emphasized the necessity of increased funding for solving these issues.
