The head of the United Nations said yesterday he’s “disappointed” with pledges made so far by the world’s bigger greenhouse gas emitters to reduce their contribution to the planet’s rising temperatures.
But the European Union’s initiative of a “green pact” could make the bloc of 28 countries a world champion to push other big polluters in the same direction, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres told The Associated Press on the first of 12 days of talks in Madrid aimed at increasing action against climate change.
“I’m convinced that Europe will be in a position to negotiate with China, with India, with the United States, with Russia in a way that will allow all to understand that this must be a collective effort and that they all will have to correct their policies in order to be able to drastically reduce the emissions,” Guterres said.
He also said that the “addiction to coal” in parts of Asia could undermine climate action.
“Our strong recommendation is for countries to think seriously before building new coal power plants and for those that can do it to start phasing out the old ones,” he said.
Spain’s interim prime minister said “only a handful of fanatics deny the evidence” of climate change — without naming any individuals or countries.
In a speech at the opening of a two-week climate summit in Madrid, Pedro Sánchez said “alternative facts” must be fought back with actions.
The leader of Spain’s Socialists, who is trying to assemble enough parliamentary support to remain in government, offered to host the summit after Chile was rocked by a wave of anti-government protests.
“There is no wall that will protect any country, as powerful as it might be,” he said, calling for Europe to lead the global efforts for de-carbonization.
Sánchez also said development should not ignore women and the environment.
Democratic members of Congress said earlier the United States remains committed to the Paris climate accord despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 agreement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience yesterday at this the meeting in Madrid that “we’re still in it.”
Pelosi, who led a delegation of more than a dozen members of Congress to the Spanish capital, said climate change poses a threat to public health, the economy and national security.
The United States technically remains a member of the Paris accord until Nov. 4, 2020.
Delegates from almost 200 countries have begun a two-week international climate conference in Madrid that seeks to step up efforts to stop global warming. MDT/AP
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