United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers an address following the publication of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on April 4, 2022. (Photo: United Nations/YouTube screen grab)
Apr 04, 2022
Following the publication of a key United Nations climate report on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took aim at governments and corporations--whom he accused "a litany of broken climate promises"--while defending the activists fighting for a future free from fossil fuels.
"The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
In an address to the world's population, Guterres called the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report "a file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world."
"We are on a fast track to climate disaster," he asserted. "Major cities underwater. Unprecedented heatwaves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals."
"This is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5degC limit agreed in Paris," Guterres said, referring to the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement.
"Some government and business leaders are saying one thing--but doing another," he added. "Simply put, they are lying."
"Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels," Guterres continued. "Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
Guterres said that the world "must triple the speed of the shift to renewable energy. That means moving investments and subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables--now. In most cases, renewables are already far cheaper. It means governments ending the funding of coal, not just abroad, but at home."
"Leaders must lead, but all of us must do our part," he added. "We owe a debt to young people, civil society, and Indigenous communities for sounding the alarm and holding leaders accountable. We need to build on their work to create a grassroots movement that cannot be ignored."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just hours away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Following the publication of a key United Nations climate report on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took aim at governments and corporations--whom he accused "a litany of broken climate promises"--while defending the activists fighting for a future free from fossil fuels.
"The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
In an address to the world's population, Guterres called the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report "a file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world."
"We are on a fast track to climate disaster," he asserted. "Major cities underwater. Unprecedented heatwaves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals."
"This is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5degC limit agreed in Paris," Guterres said, referring to the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement.
"Some government and business leaders are saying one thing--but doing another," he added. "Simply put, they are lying."
"Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels," Guterres continued. "Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
Guterres said that the world "must triple the speed of the shift to renewable energy. That means moving investments and subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables--now. In most cases, renewables are already far cheaper. It means governments ending the funding of coal, not just abroad, but at home."
"Leaders must lead, but all of us must do our part," he added. "We owe a debt to young people, civil society, and Indigenous communities for sounding the alarm and holding leaders accountable. We need to build on their work to create a grassroots movement that cannot be ignored."
From Your Site Articles
- War and Climate Crisis Threaten Global Progress on Human Health, Warns UN Chief ›
- 'Atrocious': Green Groups Blast UK Approval of Jackdaw Gas Field ›
- Official With Oil Ties Next in Line as Biden Climate Adviser Reportedly Plans to Quit ›
- In Samoa, UN Chief Says Low-Lying Island Nations Face 'Annihilation' by Climate Chaos | Common Dreams ›
Following the publication of a key United Nations climate report on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took aim at governments and corporations--whom he accused "a litany of broken climate promises"--while defending the activists fighting for a future free from fossil fuels.
"The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
In an address to the world's population, Guterres called the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report "a file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world."
"We are on a fast track to climate disaster," he asserted. "Major cities underwater. Unprecedented heatwaves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals."
"This is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5degC limit agreed in Paris," Guterres said, referring to the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement.
"Some government and business leaders are saying one thing--but doing another," he added. "Simply put, they are lying."
"Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels," Guterres continued. "Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness."
Guterres said that the world "must triple the speed of the shift to renewable energy. That means moving investments and subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables--now. In most cases, renewables are already far cheaper. It means governments ending the funding of coal, not just abroad, but at home."
"Leaders must lead, but all of us must do our part," he added. "We owe a debt to young people, civil society, and Indigenous communities for sounding the alarm and holding leaders accountable. We need to build on their work to create a grassroots movement that cannot be ignored."
From Your Site Articles
- War and Climate Crisis Threaten Global Progress on Human Health, Warns UN Chief ›
- 'Atrocious': Green Groups Blast UK Approval of Jackdaw Gas Field ›
- Official With Oil Ties Next in Line as Biden Climate Adviser Reportedly Plans to Quit ›
- In Samoa, UN Chief Says Low-Lying Island Nations Face 'Annihilation' by Climate Chaos | Common Dreams ›
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.