In New York a Climate Ambition Summit was held on 20 September 2023 in association with the United Nations General Assembly. Invitees were those countries, or businesses that had shown ambition.
The UN Secretary General warned that Humanity has opened the Gates of Hell. He cited, “Horrendous heat is having horrendous effects. Distraught farmers watching crops carried away by floods; Sweltering temperatures spawning disease; And thousands fleeing in fear as historic fires rage. Climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the challenge.” He also proposed that it is not too late to escalate action.
Australia was not listed. Australia had not been invited. We are not part of the movers and doers in the climate ambition acceleration agenda.
Our 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 is lacklutre at best, especially when we are openning new coal and gas projects. Most of our gains so far are due to carbon sequestration as Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry. Outside of electricity production most of our industrial and transport emissions have changed very little. Our transport emissions are actually rising.
But Australia wasn’t totally absent. To scale up at pace and at scale, the Secretary-General called for a global surge in adaptation investment to support developing countries. Australia
responded did respond to this call.
“Australia is privileged to partner with Tuvalu to advance their Long‑Term Adaptation Plan, to help protect the lives, livelihoods and culture of Tuvaluans. Australia is taking action to be part of the global solution, delivering real climate action at home, and working with the countries of our region to build resilience,” said Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong was asked about Australia opening new coal and gas projects during her presence in New York.
The Australia Institute published a full page ad in the New York Times.of over 220 independent experts and scientists in an open letter calling on the Australian Government to stop opening new gas and coal projects and stop funding fossil fuels.
While out in the streets of New York City over 75,000 people marched to end Fossil Fuels, the first large scale climate mobilisation since the pandemic disrupted protests. Over 600 actions took place around the world. In Melbourne the local action was Whale Songs not Seismic Blasting protest.
Days after half a million people around the world marched and took action to demand the phase-out of fossil fuels, certain leaders continue to ignore science and the will of their people. Rather than taking responsibility, countries historically responsible for the climate crisis, like the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and Australia, failed to show up. Why? Because they know their climate plans are nowhere near ambitious. They were not invited.
Two weeks previously Oil Change International released a high-profile report titled Planet Wreckers, revealing that five Global North countries (the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway, and United Kingdom) are responsible for a majority of planned expansion from new oil and gas fields through 2050. In particular, the United States is responsible for over one-third of all projected oil and gas expansion through 2050. Australia is described as “the world’s 3rd-largest exporter of fossil fuel pollution.”
Pacific governments and other countries organized a press conference offering solutions as to how industrial nations can take concrete action to phase out fossil fuels in a way that is fair, fast, and forever.
Watch the full recorded press conference at UN Web TV.
Hon. Kausea Natano, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu said:
“The longer we remain addicted to fossil fuels, the longer we commit ourselves to mutual decline. Tuvalu is proud that we are working alongside our Pacific neighbours, the European Parliament, and the World Health Organisation to develop a comprehensive multilateral framework that addresses the climate crisis at its root cause”
Additionally, Gabriel Boric, the President of Chile said:
“The climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis so we need to leave fossil fuels behind. That in very specific terms means we have to react to the greenwashing that major businesses are undertaking. They continue with that greenwashing and they’re stepping it up, and in some cases their greenwashing efforts are supported by countries.”
Antonio Guterres: Humanity has opened the gates of hell
Transcript of UN Secretary General speech
Excellencies, friends,
Our focus here is on climate solutions – and our task is urgent.
Humanity has opened the gates of hell.
Horrendous heat is having horrendous effects.
Distraught farmers watching crops carried away by floods;
Sweltering temperatures spawning disease;
And thousands fleeing in fear as historic fires rage.
Climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the challenge.
If nothing changes we are heading towards a 2.8 degree temperature rise – towards a dangerous and unstable world.
But the future is not fixed.
It is for leaders like you to write it.
We can still limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees. We can still build a world of clear air, green jobs, and affordable clean power for all.
The path forward is clear.
It has been forged by fighters and trailblazers – some of whom are with us today:
Activists refusing to be silenced;
Indigenous Peoples defending their lands from climate extremes;
Chief Executives transforming their business models and financiers funding a just transition;
Mayors moving towards to a zero-carbon future;
And governments working to stamp out fossil fuels and protect vulnerable communities.
But if we are to meet the 1.5 degree limit and protect ourselves from climate extremes, climate champions, particularly in the developing world, need solidarity;
They need support;
And they need global leaders to take action.
Action to reduce emissions.
The move from fossil fuels to renewables is happening – but we are decades behind.
We must make up time lost to foot-dragging, arm-twisting and the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil fuels.
The proposed Climate Solidarity Pact calls on major emitters – who have benefitted most from fossil fuels – to make extra efforts to cut emissions, and on wealthy countries to support emerging economies to do so.
And the Acceleration Agenda I proposed calls on governments to hit fast forward:
So that developed countries reach net zero as close as possible to 2040, and emerging economies as close as possible to 2050 according to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
It also urges countries to implement a fair, equitable and just energy transition, while providing affordable electricity to all:
By ensuring credible plans to exit coal by 2030 for OECD countries and 2040 for the rest of the world;
By ending fossil fuel subsidies – which the IMF estimates reached an incredible US $7 trillion in 2022;
And by setting ambitious renewable energy goals in line with the 1.5 degree limit.
The Acceleration Agenda also calls for climate justice.
Many of the poorest nations have every right to be angry.
Angry that they are suffering most from a climate crisis they did nothing to create.
Angry that promised finance has not materialized.
And angry that their borrowing costs are sky-high.
We need a transformation to rebuild trust.
Governments must push the global financial system towards supporting climate action.
That means putting a price on carbon, and overhauling the business models of Multilateral Development Banks so that they leverage far more private finance at reasonable cost to developing countries.
All parties must operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28.
Developed countries must meet the $100 billion commitment, replenish the Green Climate Fund, and double adaptation funding.
And everyone must be covered by an early warning system by 2027 – by implementing the Action Plan we launched last year.
At the same time, my Acceleration Agenda calls for business and financial institutions to embark on true net zero pathways.
Shady pledges have betrayed the public trust.
Shamefully, some companies have even tried to block the transition to net zero – using wealth and influence to delay, distract and deceive.
Every company that truly means business must create just transition plans that credibly cut emissions and deliver climate justice, in line with the recommendations of my High-Level Expert Group.
Excellencies, friends,
The future of humanity is in your hands.
One Summit will not change the world.
But today can be a powerful moment to generate momentum, that we build on over the coming months.
We can – and we must turn up the tempo.
Turn plans into action.
And turn the tide.
Thank you.
*****
See also UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres statement at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2023
References
UN Secretary General speech to Climate Ambition Summit 20 September, 2023. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-09-20/secretary-generals-opening-remarks-the-climate-ambition-summit
UN Press Release, 20 September 2023, New partnerships to accelerate much-needed investment for climate adaptation https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/press_release_new_apa_partnerships.pdf
Climate Action Merribek 