UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on countries to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, urging global emissions cuts of at least six pe cent annually in the coming years.
Deputy spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq told UN Correspondents on Tuesday in New York that Guterres also stressed the importance of building economies that are cleaner, more secure, and less exposed to shocks.
The secretary-general is in Antalya, Türkiye attending the 31st U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP 31, which opened on Monday.
Haq said Guterres had addressed the COP30 Presidency Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Energy Systems in a Just, Orderly and Equitable Manner in the morning.
The UN chief said that fossil fuels were not only driving the climate crisis; dependence on them carries a steep economic and security price, as the crisis in the Middle East has laid bare.
In the afternoon, the secretary-general held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They exchanged views on the global efforts to tackle climate change and working collaboratively towards robust outcomes at COP31.
The President of Türkiye and the secretary-general also discussed several regional and global issues, including the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, Libya and Cyprus.
The secretary-general also had a meeting with the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, Han Zheng.
The duo discussed the importance of working collaboratively towards securing a robust and credible set of outcomes of COP31 that respond to the gaps in mitigation, finance and adaptation.
Guterres also met with the Youth Advisory Group and participated in a roundtable with youth. He said that he strongly believes that young people must not be seen simply as beneficiaries – they must be actors and leaders in the climate debate.
The secretary-general called on young people to help close the gap between these kinds of conferences and their communities, and to help spread the science in the online world, where disinformation spreads fastest.
In addition, the secretary-general met with a group of climate scientists, where he heard their views on the latest developments in climate science, finance and the energy transition, as well as key policy priorities for COP31 and beyond.
No fewerthan 90,000 people are expected in Antalya as pressure mounts to deliver on climate promises. The summit is set to close on Nov. 20.(NAN)
