Call for action: UN Secretary-General issues global climate warning ahead of UAE Climate Summit

The United Nations Secretary-General has sounded a global alarm, calling on all nations to halt coal, oil, and gas emissions to save the planet's deteriorating climate.

This urgent call serves as a reminder of the need to implement the Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2015. The agreement calls for a 50 percent reduction in harmful emissions by 2030 to prevent a global temperature rise of one and a half degrees Celsius.

Currently, countries worldwide are preparing for the upcoming climate summit hosted by the United Arab Emirates in November. The summit's agenda includes addressing the devastating effects of climate change that have become increasingly evident in recent months.

In preparation for the summit, meetings and initiatives occur across the continents. The most recent event in Nairobi, Kenya, saw the African Development Bank (AfDB) pledge $23 billion to the African Climate Fund over the next 27 years to promote green growth and adaptation. 

Additionally, the UAE committed $4.5 billion to assist in developing green energy infrastructure in Africa, a significant move in the global energy transition.

Why Africa? 

Despite contributing only three percent of global emissions, Africa is one of the regions most severely affected by climate change. Known as the "Sun Continent," Africa has the potential to export alternative energy sources to the world.

Europe has also turned to alternative energy sources due to a reduced supply of Russian gas resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Wind, solar, hydroelectric, and photovoltaic energy projects have flourished in Europe, collectively termed "energies of freedom," forming the cornerstone of carbon reduction and economic transformation.

As for the United States, having previously withdrawn from climate commitments under the Trump administration, it has rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement under the Biden Administration. A recent outcome of this return was the cancellation of oil and gas extraction licenses in Alaska and the Arctic.

In the past, the world successfully reduced the risks of the ozone hole, demonstrating that collective will leads to solutions. 

The question now is whether major industrialized nations will fulfill their commitments to prevent climate collapse, especially given that the effects of climate change have impacted them directly. The answer will be revealed in November in the UAE.