Poor, Vulnerable People Everywhere One Shock Away from Doomsday, Secretary-General Warns in Message to ‘Energizing the World While Preserving the Planet’ Conference

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António video message to the conference “Energizing the world while preserving the planet”, in Lisbon today:

Dear friends, I commend the Club de Lisboa for its support for sustainable development on land and sea.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals entails urgent action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution.  COP26 in Glasgow took some important steps, but we have a very long way to go.

It is essential to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise by 1.5°C.  That will require the world to cut emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.  But according to current commitments, global emissions are set to increase by almost 14 per cent over the current decade.  That spells catastrophe.

Small island nations, least developed countries and poor and vulnerable people everywhere are one shock away from doomsday.  We need an avalanche of climate action.  It is time to go into emergency mode.  To end fossil fuel subsidies.  Phase out coal.  Put a price on carbon.

Build coalitions of action to provide financial and technical support for countries that need assistance to wean themselves from coal dependency.  Build resilience of vulnerable communities against the here-and-now impacts of climate change.  And make good on the annual $100 billion climate finance commitment to support developing countries.

Every country must strengthen their nationally determined contributions until they collectively deliver the 45 per cent emissions reduction needed by 2030.  And every sector and every industry, including shipping and aviation, must play its part to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 — with verifiable and aligned 2030 targets, credible and clear measures, and maximum urgency.

Your conference falls between COP26 and the second United Nations Ocean Conference, scheduled to be held in Lisbon in June.  We need to save our ocean to protect our future.  When we look at the ocean, we see the dramatic effects of climate change everywhere.  The ocean is growing warmer and more acidic, polar ice is melting and global weather patterns are changing.

Coral reefs are dying.  Ocean ecosystems are suffering.  And so are the communities who depend on them.  The same story is true on land.  Climate disruption is real, and it is here.  We are all in the same boat and we need all hands on deck.

Young people understand this.  I applaud their energetic advocacy for climate action, and I thank the Club de Lisboa for engaging youth and supporting their efforts.  By working together, we can beat the climate crisis and bequeath a sustainable world for generations to come.

Thank you.  Obrigado.