The second day of negotiations at the 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29) on climate change began after a first session that lasted until three in the morning. Today, Baku hosts world leaders – including Spanish President Pedro Sánchez – and, precisely for this reason, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, He wanted to address the participants.
As is typical of the Portuguese, his message is loaded with heavy doses of climate symbolism and scientific evidence. “The sound you hear is the ticking of the clock”began his speech. “We are in the final countdown to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial thermometers. And time is not on our side. »
And he cited a whole host of evidence that shows “we are running out of time.” Because, as he recalled, 2024 was, once again, the year of records. On the one hand, “there is no doubtIt will be the hottest since there are records“. On the other hand, it has also been “a master class in climate destruction.”
To illustrate this, Guterres referred to extreme weather phenomena that climate change aggravates and makes more frequent, as is the case with Spain’s DANA. The Secretary General of the United Nations recalled climate migrants, “workers who collapse due to unbearable heat”, “destroyed biodiversity”, “floods which destroy communities and destroy infrastructure” or even “children who are dying of hunger.
“No country is spared; in our global economy, THE shocks in the supply chain, costs are increasing everywhere; decimated harvests are driving up food prices around the world; Destroyed houses increase insurance premiums everywhere on the planet…”, he insisted. And he recalled that “The rich create the problem and the poor pay an even higher price.”
António Guterres also wanted to highlight the latest data from Oxfam Intermón: “the richest billionaires emit more CO₂ in an hour and a half than the average person in their entire life”. This is precisely why he said “emissions must fall” while climate adaptation “grows”.
Despite his somewhat catastrophic speech – due to the very nature of the climate crisis – the United Nations Secretary General indicated thatand there are “reasons to hope”. Especially if COP29 meets what is expected of it.
“At COP28, you all agreed to move away from fossil fuels; accelerate net-zero energy systems, setting milestones to get there; drive climate adaptation; and align the next round of national climate plans (NDPs) with the limit of 1.5 degrees,” he said. Therefore, “now is the time to comply.”
He further reminded delegates that “Humanity is watching”. And what we are talking about is “avoidable injustice”. Guterres also spoke of the need for transition and adaptation to be “equitable”.
To do this, “the G20 must lead” the climate fight, since it is “the biggest emitter”. And he urged world leaders to be ambitious in their goals: “The UN is ready to support all efforts until the end“.
António Guterres said goodbye saying that “there is no time to lose. In the climate crisis, climate finance must increase for the most vulnerable countries. Time is running out, I am counting on you.” and concluded that negotiators cannot leave Baku “empty-handed”.
