Climate Change Making Earth ‘Uninhabitable’, Warns UN Chief

News Desk

United Nations: Every year of insufficient action to keep global warming below 1.5°C drives us closer to the brink, increasing systemic risks and reducing our resilience against climate catastrophe, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warning that humanity is facing a “difficult truth” and the damage already being caused by climate change is “making our planet uninhabitable”.

In his message on World Meteorological Day, Guterres laid down the challenge to governments worldwide: make 2023 a year of “transformation, not tinkering”, when it comes to seriously addressing climate change with meaningful climate action.

He emphasised that extreme weather and climate change are escalating heatwaves, droughts, flooding, wildfires, and famines while posing a threat to submerge low-lying nations and cities as sea levels rise as a result of melting glaciers.

Antonio stated that the cumulative effect of these factors will result in the extinction of other species, adding that the subject for this year is ‘The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations,’ which “compels us all to live up to our responsibilities” to future generations.

This calls for stepping up mitigation and adaptation efforts in order to keep temperature increases to 1.5 degrees. It entails fundamentally altering our transportation and energy infrastructure, ending our dependence on fossil fuels, and committing to a just transition to renewable energy sources.

Secretary General stated that industrialised nations have a responsibility to spearhead a financial and technological revolution that can aid all nations in reducing carbon emissions, preparing for the future by embracing renewable energy sources like wind and water, and increasing their ability to withstand climate shocks.

Antonio Guterres opined that the most important of them is the urgent need to address the loss and damage caused by climate change that affects the nations least able to handle it and least at fault. And it means living up to the promise made last World Meteorological Day to ensure that early warning systems against climate disasters cover every person in the world, he further said.

Thirty countries have now been identified for accelerated implementation this year.

“It’s time to end the relentless and senseless war on nature and deliver the sustainable future that our climate needs and our children and grandchildren deserve,” UN Chief mentioned.