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Guterres Warns World Leaders They are Losing Battle Against Climate Change

Margaret Besheer

   UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the
   annual meeting of the General Assembly the world is losing the battle
   against climate change but that there is still time to reverse the
   effects of the global phenomenon.

   "We are seeing unprecedented temperatures, unrelenting storms and
   undeniable science," Guterres said. "The world is starting to move --
   not fast enough but in the right direction -- away from fossil fuels
   and towards the opportunities of the green economy."

   Guterres said solutions to what he now calls a "climate crisis" were
   discussed at the U.N.'s Climate Action Summit on Monday. He noted the
   need for world leaders to "scale up" the solutions to "keep temperature
   rise to 1.5 degrees and reach carbon neutrality by 2050."

   Guterres has called for the phasing out of fossil fuels and an end to
   construction of new coal power plants. He has also said it is time to
   end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry and shift taxes from salaries
   to carbon -- taxing pollution, not people.

   Guterres was the first in a series of world leaders involved in some of
   the most high profile geopolitical issues to speak on the first day of
   the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

   After opening remarks from Guterres, those gathered for the annual
   meeting will hear from a group that includes U.S. President Donald
   Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Korean President Moon
   Jae-in and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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