Half way through the UN climate conference, the UN climate chief looked ahead to the gathering of the Group of 20 (G20) powers and issued a dire warning about the outlook for the globe unless changes are made.
“Without rapid cuts in emissions, no G20 economy will be spared from climate-driven economic carnage,” said UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell in Baku, where the two-week gathering, known as COP29, is being held.
Leaders, ministers and other officials from around 200 countries are gathered at the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan to discuss ways to limit global warming and its deadly consequences.
“Climate impacts are already ripping shreds out of every G20 economy, wrecking lives, pummeling supply chains and food prices, and fanning inflation,” he said.
But the departure of one delegation and absence of some leaders has led to concerns about the effectiveness of the COP talks.
“As G20 leaders head to Rio de Janeiro, the world is watching and expecting strong signals that climate action is core business for the world’s biggest economies,” Stiell said.
“The G20 was created to tackle problems that no one country, or group of countries, can tackle alone. On that basis, the global climate crisis should be order of business Number One, in Rio next week.”
In Baku, delegations are negotiating day and night over a new financial target to guarantee poorer countries support for climate protection and adaptation to climate change in the future, said Stiell.
“There is a long way to go, but everyone is very aware of the stakes, at the halfway point in the COP,” he said.