On Monday 21 March the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made remarks to the Economist Sustainability Summit in a speech labelled Keeping 1.5 Alive – Delivering on the Fate of our Planet. In the speech he specifically called out Australia for failure to take climate action in increasing 2030 climate targets and phasing out coal and gas.
"The developed and emerging economies of the G20 account for 80 per cent of all global emissions. A growing number of G20 developed economies have announced meaningful emissions reductions by 2030 – with a handful of holdouts, such as Australia." said Guterres.
He didn't mince his words on the global catstrophe we are facing, either.
"According to present national commitments, global emissions are set to increase by almost 14 per cent in the 2020s. Last year alone, global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 6 per cent to their highest levels in history. Coal emissions have surged to record highs. We are sleepwalking to climate catastrophe."
On a global level he articulated what we need to aim for to avoid catastrophe: "Keeping 1.5 alive requires a 45 per cent reduction in global emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by mid-century. That problem was not solved in Glasgow. "
He argues for progressively dismantling coal infrastructure, with full phase-out by 2030 for OECD countries (like Australia), and 2040 for all others. For financing adaptation and mitigation to be pursued with equal force and urgency.
He ends his speech on how do we keep 1.5 alive by calling for positive action and solutions:
- By accelerating the phase-out of coal and all fossil fuels and implementing a rapid, just and sustainable energy transition -- the only true pathway to energy security.
- By honouring the Glasgow pledge to strengthen national climate plans every year until they are aligned with 1.5 degrees.
- By delivering concrete outcomes this year on climate coalitions to help emerging economies urgently phase out coal.
- By driving a swift and transformative increase in climate finance with multilateral development banks leading on unlocking the trillions that we know are needed.
- By speeding up the decarbonization of major sectors such as shipping, aviation, steel and cement.
- And by protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring an equal focus on adaptation.
"That’s how we will move the 1.5 degree goal from life support to the recovery room. "
And Australia is presently not doing our fair share in ambituous 2030 climate targets, in planning for phase out of coal mining in a just transition engaging l;ocal communities in solutions.
