UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared “The climate collapse has begun” on Wednesday, calling for new measures to deal effectively with climate disasters.
This statement was issued in response to the Copernicus Observatory’s announcement that this summer in the Northern Hemisphere was the hottest ever recorded.
Guterres emphasized that “Scientists have long warned of the consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels.”
He went on to state, “The climate is changing at a pace faster than our ability to cope, with extreme weather phenomena hitting every corner of the Earth.”
“Rich countries must keep their promises to avail climate funds,” he said at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.
“I renewed my call for the world to step up climate action to avoid the worst effects of climate change, keep global promises to provide essential support, and help Africa make a just and equitable transition to renewable energy,” Guterres said.
The UN chief said on average, African countries pay four times more for borrowing than the United States and eight times more than the wealthiest European countries.
The European Copernicus Observatory highlighted in its release that global temperature averages over the past three months have reached their highest levels to date.
Samantha Borges, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Observatory for Climate Change, told the France Press agency, “Given the excessive heat on the ocean surface, 2023 is likely to be the hottest year ever.”
Previously, the observatory reported that this past July broke the record for the hottest month globally, being 0.33°C hotter than July 2019.
Last month, which witnessed heatwaves and wildfires worldwide, experienced temperatures that were 0.72°C warmer compared to July spanning from 1991 to 2020.
