12.04.2024

UN climate chief: We have two years left to save the world

Humanity has just two years left to save the world by making dramatic changes to the way it emits emissions. The important warning was given by UN Climate Executive Secretary Simon Steele. According to him, the time frame to secure the finances behind such a large-scale change is even shorter.

The next two years are essential. We still have a chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a new generation of national climate plans. But we need these more ambitious plans now," Steele said in a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London.

He also stressed that climate action is not just for the powerful - a reference to this year's busy election calendar around the world.

More and more people are feeling the effects of climate change

Who exactly has two years to save the world? The answer is every person on this planet,” Steele said.

Here's what else he said:

More and more people are calling for climate action right across societies and across the political spectrum, largely because they feel the impact of the climate crisis in their everyday lives and in their household budgets.”

Crop-destroying droughts have increased the need for bolder action to limit emissions and help farmers adapt, which can increase food security and reduce hunger.”

Reducing fossil fuel pollution will mean better health and huge savings for governments and households alike."

However, not everyone is convinced that such warnings will be useful.

Two years to save the world' is meaningless rhetoric. At best it is likely to be ignored, at worst it will be counterproductive," said Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer, who is also a professor of international relations.

A "qualitative leap" in finance

Levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the air last year reached all-time highs, according to United States government estimates. Scientists estimate that global carbon dioxide emissions jumped by 1,1 percent. Last year was also the hottest year on record, he recalls Euronews.

If carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas continue to rise, or do not begin to decline sharply, it will further entrench gross inequalities between the world's richest and poorest countries and communities," warned Steele. .

And behind all this is money, he stressed.

Steele's speech comes just before meetings of the World Bank and other major multinational development institutions. A group of countries led by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and President William Ruto of Kenya will push for major reforms to the systems that lend money to poor nations - especially those affected by climate-related disasters.

Against this pressure, Steele called for a "qualitative jump this year in climate finance". He called for debt relief to countries that need it most, pointing out that $400 billion is being spent on debt financing instead of preparing for and preventing future climate change.

He called for more financial assistance, not just loans, but also more money from various groups such as banks, the International Maritime Organization and the G20.

G20 leadership must be at the heart of the solution, as it was during the Great Financial Crisis. Every day, finance ministers, CEOs, investors and development bankers channel trillions of dollars. It's time to redirect those dollars from the energy and infrastructure of the past to a cleaner, more sustainable future. And to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable countries benefit,” Steele said.

Climate finance must be fixed before the end of 2024

Officials said the climate finance issue must be resolved by the end of the year, with negotiations at the COP29 summit in November in Baku, Azerbaijan, crucial.

Steele is absolutely right that time and finance are at the heart of the matter,” said longtime climate analyst Alden Meyer of the European think tank E3G. "The carbon action plans presented by next year will determine whether we can get on the trajectory of sharp emissions reductions needed to avoid far worse climate impacts than we are already suffering today," he added.