Either we cooperate or we perish, says Antonio Guterres at COP27, and reiterates his call to tax oil companies

Taxes on energy companies’ windfall profits would be allocated to those suffering losses from climate change, he explains, calling for an agreement among all countries to avert climate catastrophe: “A Climate Solidarity Pact or a Collective Suicide Pact.”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations spoke on Monday for a historic pact between rich and developing countries to combine capabilities and guide the world towards reducing carbon emissions, transforming energy systems and avoiding climate catastrophe.

During the opening of the two-day COP27 Climate Implementation Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, António Guterres posed a dilemma for the world.

“Humanity has to choose: cooperate or perish. It is a Climate Solidarity Pact or a Collective Suicide Pact,” he told more than a hundred world leaders gathered for the first official plenary session of the UN Climate Change Conference.

The Compact would require all countries to make additional efforts to reduce carbon emissions, for richer nations and international financial institutions to provide assistance to emerging economies, for an end to dependence on fossil fuels and the construction of coal plants, for sustainable energy to be offered for all, and for countries to come together to combine strategies and capabilities for the benefit of humanity.

Highway to Hell

The UN chief recalled that the planet is rapidly approaching tipping points that can make climate chaos irreversible. “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator,” he warned.

“The two largest economies, the United States and China, have a particular responsibility to join efforts to make this Compact a reality. This is our only hope of meeting climate goals,” the UN chief emphasized.

Guterres said that the 8 billion inhabitant of the Earth will soon be born and that this milestone puts into perspective what COP27 is about.

“How will we respond when that baby is old enough to ask, ‘What did you do for our world, and for our planet, when you had the chance?'”

Defining issue

He added that while the war in Ukraine and other conflicts have caused enormous bloodshed and violence and have had dramatic impacts around the world, the UN cannot accept that attention is diverted from climate change.

“It’s the defining issue of our time. It is the central challenge of our century. It is unacceptable, scandalous and counterproductive to leave it in the background,” he stressed.

The Secretary-General explained that many of today’s conflicts are linked to “growing climate chaos.”

“The war in Ukraine has exposed the profound risks of our addiction to fossil fuels. Today’s urgent crises cannot be an excuse for relapse. If anything, they are a reason to give greater urgency to stronger action and effective accountability,” he stressed.

Taxes on windfall profits

Guterres returned to his earlier request that governments tax fossil fuel windfalls, pandemic-driven profits.

That money, he said, would be redirected to people struggling with rising food and energy prices, and to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis.

“The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now. Losses and damage can no longer be swept under the rug. It is a moral imperative. It is a fundamental issue of international solidarity and climate justice. Those who contributed least to the climate crisis are reaping the whirlwind sown by others,” he said, adding that during COP27 leaders must agree on a clear, time-bound roadmap that reflects the scale and urgency of the challenge.

António Guterres also called for progress in adaptation and building resilience to future climate shocks, highlighting that 3500 million people live in countries highly vulnerable to climate impacts.

Experts’ projections show that adaptation needs will grow to more than $300 billion a year by 2030, urging international financial institutions and banks to change their business model and do their part.

The time for solidarity has come

He added that it was time for international solidarity in all areas.

“A solidarity that respects human rights and ensures a safe space for environmental defenders and all actors in society to contribute to our climate response. Let us not forget that the war against nature is itself a massive violation of human rights,” he said.

Finally, he argued that the global climate fight will be won or lost in this crucial decade and under the gaze of current world leaders.

“One thing is certain: those who give up are sure to lose. So, let’s fight together and win. For the 8 billion members of our human family and for generations to come,” he said.

Going beyond words

Opening the plenary debate, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi noted that to overcome the current climate change crisis and implement the Paris Agreement, leaders must go beyond words.

“The people of the world look to us today and want a swift and real implementation of concrete actions to reduce emissions and strengthen their ability to adapt and secure the necessary financing for developing countries that today are suffering more than others,” he said.

In this regard, El-Sisi called on leaders to take into account the priorities of the African continent and support the principle of shared responsibility, to inspire confidence in their ability to achieve climate goals.

Source: UN News