Gov'Ts Continuing To Build Polluting Economies Unacceptable: UN

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said on Tuesday that it is unacceptable that governments continue to build polluting economies.

"This is unacceptable," the deputy secretary-general said in her video message for the Sustainable Energy for All Youth Summit while talking about the fact that a new SEforALL (Sustainable Energy for All) report that tracks finance for electricity and clean cooking shows that most governments continue to build a polluting economy.

RELATED:
 Ecuador: A Court Admits Claim Against Pollution in the Amazon

Mohammed stressed that young people understand the links between sustainable development and climate justice.

"You have risen to the forefront as advocates and innovators in bringing sustainable energy solutions to homes, communities and countries. As we now seek to recover from the impact of the pandemic, it is important that we recover better with sustainable energy for all," she said.

The UN deputy chief said that this year will be "critical" for the realization of Goal 7 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

"A key priority of the United Nations this year is to build a global coalition for carbon neutrality by the middle of the century. Young people will have a critical role to play," she said.

"We have all been inspired by the transformational leadership of youth -- coming together in solidarity and compassion to demand intergenerational justice and bold action on the climate emergency," said Mohammed.

The UN deputy chief noted that current data shows that "we are not on track to achieve SDG7."

"To meet the climate challenge, we know that we need urgently to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. We also know that we need to support developing countries in this transition. Some 789 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity and 2.8 billion people lack access to clean cooking solutions, putting millions of children at risk of hunger and disease," said the deputy secretary-general.

"The COVID-19 pandemic highlights all too well why it is essential we deliver on SDG7," said Mohammed.

She noted that for the first time, the high-level dialogue at the UN General Assembly in September will focus on energy. The United Nations Climate Change Conference -- COP26 -- which will take place in Glasgow in November, will provide another major political pressure point to act on a just transition.

"I encourage you to actively shape these milestone events in 2021 to help us reach the future we want," the UN deputy chief said.