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‘This Is Not the Summer of Our Youth:’ UN Chief Warns

  • June 2019 broke the records of the hottest June ever around the world.

    June 2019 broke the records of the hottest June ever around the world. | Photo: Reuters

Published 1 August 2019
Opinion

The World Meteorological Organization warned that July is on the path to become the hottest month in recorder history. 

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that 2019 broke the records of the hottest June ever, as July is also on the path to equal or surpass the hottest month in recorded history.

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“We have always lived through hot summers. But this is not the summer of our youth. This is not your grandfather’s summer,” U.N. chief​​​​​​, Antonio Guterres, told the press Thursday in New York,  calling the current climate situation an "emergency."

The WMO also showed that 2015 to 2019 are likely to be the five hottest years on record.

“If we do not take action on climate change now ... these extreme weather events are just the tip of the iceberg. And that iceberg is also rapidly melting,” Guterres warned.

As the Climate Action Summit will be held on Sept. 23 in New York, the U.N. chief stressed that the ticket to entry, for governments, business and civil society, is “bold action and much greater ambition,” if the world is really willing to limit temperature increases to 1.5ºC and avoid the worst consequences of climate change. ​

 

“Beautiful speeches” are not enough and leaders need to come to New York on September with concrete and solid plans to reach certain goals, including 45 percent cut of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Guterres added that many solutions are available and are already being implemented.

These solutions include the increasing use of technology that is rendering renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels, the planting of millions of trees to reverse deforestation and remove carbon dioxide from the environment. 

The finance world is also increasingly pricing carbon risks into their decision-making process and calling on leaders to reduce fossil fuel subsidies.

Moreover, the leading businesses are acknowledging that, in order to avoid huge losses, now is the time to move from the “grey,” polluting economy, to the green economy.

“We need a rapid and deep change in how we do business, generate power, build cities and feed the world,” concluded the Secretary-General.

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