NEW YORK/DUBAI/RIYADH – Humankind’s role in the destructive warming of the planet is comparable to the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday, calling for rapid steps including bans on fossil fuel advertising.
“Of the vast forces that have shaped life on Earth over billions of years, humanity is just one small blip on the radar,” Guterres said in a speech at New York’s American Museum of Natural History.
“But like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, we’re having an outsized impact,” he warned.
“In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are not only in danger. We are the danger.”
He said that the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service would officially report on Wednesday that May 2024 was the hottest May in recorded history.
“This marks twelve straight months of the hottest months ever,” Guterres said.
However, he noted optimistically that humans “are also the solution” and called again for concerted global action to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
That target, the most ambitious of the near-decade-old Paris Agreement, is “hanging by a thread,” he said.
In the GCC, renowned for its oil-driven economies, the regional political and business leadership have been pushing hard for diversification and adopting environment-friendly growth strategies.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said: “On World Environment Day, we renew our commitment to implementing policies and plans to protect it and we renew our call to the international community to cooperate to implement all the pledges made in the recent historic consensus at COP28.
“We renew our call to the younger generations to make all efforts to ensure its sustainability because environmental sustainability is sustainability for development and a guarantee of civilizational progress.”
Saudi Arabia, the economic heavyweight of the region partnered with the UN Environment Programme to mark World Environment Day on Wednesday. The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said in a statement that by hosting World Environment Day the Kingdom confirms its commitment to protect the environment and promote sustainable development, in line with the Vision 2030 goals, Saudi media reported.
Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia said his nation takes a holistic approach to the environment, focusing on protecting the natural environment and preserving biodiversity. The country has implemented a suite of national legislation, strategies, and plans dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability, such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives, reported Saudi media.
Al-Fadhli said Saudi Arabia had a central role in initiating the Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats Initiative, a show of its ongoing commitment to global involvement.
Multinational IT and software firm Tech Mahindra in a statement shared with TRENDS said countries such as Saudi Arabia, with initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative, and India, through its Green India Mission, are setting ambitious standards in the fight against environmental degradation. These efforts serve as a source of inspiration for nations around the globe.
Mohit Joshi, CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra, said, “As we celebrate World Environment Day, it is imperative to highlight the critical importance of sustainability in securing our future. Tech Mahindra has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2035. This pledge underscores our dedication to environmental stewardship, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain to reduce our carbon footprint and promote a global transition to a greener economy.
“The shift towards renewable energy sources is crucial for decarbonization, offering a promising path to mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, this journey is fraught with challenges, including technological limitations, financial barriers, and the necessity for robust policy and regulatory support. Overcoming these obstacles requires a collective effort and innovative solutions in energy storage, grid integration, and financing models to unlock the full potential of renewable energy,” said Joshi.
Italian energy efficiency company Ariston Group applauded Oman’s plan toward a sustainable future.
“The government’s policies strongly advocate for clean energy and reducing carbon footprints, inspiring government bodies, private companies, and individuals to take environmental protection measures,” said Alberto Torner, Head of Ariston Group in the Middle East, Turkey, and Caucasus.
Envisioning the bright future of the Ariston Group in the GCC region, Torner is hopeful that his firm will continue to contribute toward the region’s several sustainable initiatives.
Meanwhile, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization is set to report on Wednesday that there is an 80 percent chance the global annual average temperature exceeds the 1.5-degree limit in at least one of the next five years, he said.
“The battle for 1.5 degrees will be won or lost in the 2020s – under the watch of leaders today. All depends on the decisions those leaders take – or fail to take – especially in the next 18 months,” he said.
Signatory countries of the Paris Agreement must submit new greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by early 2025.
Guterres called for humanity to take an “exit ramp off the highway to climate hell,” putting a particular target on the fossil fuel industry, which he labeled the “Godfathers of climate chaos.”
He also denounced advertisers as “enablers” who have helped fossil fuel companies to delay climate action.
“Stop taking on new fossil fuel clients, from today, and set out plans to drop your existing ones,” he told the “Mad Men fueling the madness.”
He also urged every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies, as many have done for “products that harm human health — like tobacco.”
The UN chief repeated a call for a tax on fossil fuel companies’ profits to finance the fight against global warming, while also mentioning unspecified “solidarity levies” on the aviation and shipping sectors.
Guterres also demanded again that rich countries phase out coal by 2030 and reduce oil and gas consumption by 60 percent by 2035.
Wealthy countries which are historically more responsible for carbon emissions should increase their climate aid to poorer, more at-risk countries, he pleaded.
“We cannot accept a future where the rich are protected in air-conditioned bubbles, while the rest of humanity is lashed by lethal weather in unlivable lands,” he said.