Dramatic action needed on climate change: UN
The United Nations has called on world countries to redouble efforts and take a dramatic action to halt global warming before it is too late.
The plea was made on Monday as representatives from nearly 200 countries have gathered in the western German city of Bonn for 12-day technical talks that focus on hammering out an "operating manual" for the landmark 2015 Paris climate pact.
The deal is aimed at capping global warming at “well under” two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible.
"Our window of time for addressing climate change is closing very quickly," UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa told journalists at a press conference. "We need to dramatically increase our ambition."
Reports alleged that national pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as stipulated in the Paris agreement, fell well short of the target and would result in a 3C global temperature that scientists say would strain the fabric of human civilization.
"A rise of this magnitude would be extremely destabilizing," Espinosa added. "We cannot allow this to happen."
The Bonn meeting is held from April 30 to May 10, with participants being mindful of the need to build bridges between the political process and the global economy as well as starting to shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable and low-carbon energy.
The Paris agreement was reached on November 4, 2016 and has been signed by 197 countries. One hundred and thirty-five of them have now formally ratified the agreement. They represent more than 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Paris agreement seeks to avert climate change by limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperatures by 2050. It also sets out a goal of reaching a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius, if possible.
The adopted text acknowledges that the risks of climate change are much more serious than previously thought. The deal is to take effect in 2020.
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