WASHINGTON — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres candidly challenged the environment efforts of President Joe Biden and other world leaders Thursday in a message for a White House top, charging that broadened oil and gas drilling and other policies of the wealthiest nations quantity to a “death sentence” for the world.
The caution significant a public rebuke from the U.N.’s greatest authorities of what he explained as “the significant emitters” of gases from burning fossil fuels that are heating the world.
The obstacle — tape-recorded by Guterres in a video for the White House virtual environment top — came as Russia’s war in Ukraine and other risks to the world’s short-term oil and gas supply are leading the U.S. and some other countries to up production of climate-damaging oil, natural gas and coal.
Biden opened the top stating his administration’s billions of dollars in environment efforts and by revealing $1 billion in brand-new environment financing for establishing countries, as well as other current and prepared legislation and programs. In the U.S. and inotherplaces, nevertheless, the restored accept of fossil fuels is producing disputes with the environment efforts, strategies and assures.
“Geopolitical departments should not torpedo the world’s environment battle,” Guterres cautioned in his video.
“The science is clear: New fossil fuel tasks are totally incompatible” with keeping international warming within the limitations that the U.S. and approximately 200 other countries dedicated to in the 2015 Paris environment accord, stated the U.N. chief. Current nationwide policies are taking the world to a level almost twotimes as high, he stated, calling that a “death sentence.”
“Yet numerous nations are broadening capability. And I desire you to modification course,” stated Guterres, whose calls for an instant stop to brand-new oil and gas drilling have honed consideringthat a d ire report from a panel of international specialists last month showed the world is heading quickly towards more devastating levels of warming.
Asked about the U.N. secretary-general’s remarks, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated the U.S. thinks international warming needs “global cooperation and international action. And that’s what you saw this president do.” Jean-Pierre decreased to response a concern whether Guterres’ video was saw by Biden and others participatingin.
Guterres did not single out the U.S. or any other country by name, however the policies he targeted, consistingof broadened fossil fuel production, use to the United States, tactical U.S. partners in th