Speaking at the Leaders´ Summit on Climate called by US President Joe Biden on Thursday, Guterres sounded a dire warning that ¨Mother Nature is not waiting¨ and ¨even though we need a green planet, we are now at the verge of the abyss. We must make sure the next step is in the right direction,¨ he added.

Calling on world leaders everywhere to take action, Guterres said they must put a price on carbon and shift taxation from income to carbon.

He called on governments to end subsidies for fossil fuels, ramp up investments in renewable energy and green infrastructure, stop the financing of coal and the building of new coal power plants and phase out coal by 2030 in the wealthiest nations.

Guterres also stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be used to continue polluting and spoke out for recovery plans that include climate action.

It is now urgent that all countries present their climate plans for 2030, as many nations are already being hit by severe climate impacts and an economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

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