UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning on Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York City, expressing his deep concern that the era of global warming has come to an end and has been replaced by an era of “global boiling.”
The world is grappling with an extreme case of heat and high temperatures, evident from the new data released by the European Union and the World Meteorological Organization, which predicts July to be the hottest month on record.
In light of the escalating heat issue, U.S. President Joe Biden held a meeting with Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix, Arizona, and Mayor Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio to address the challenges faced by their states. Biden announced provisions aimed at safeguarding workers and communities from the effects of extreme heat and discussed ways in which the Federal Government can offer assistance.
“For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it is a cruel summer,” Guterres said. “For the entire planet, it is a disaster.”
The record heat affecting communities across the globe is caused by climate change, and although the phenomenon has long been predicted, the pace of change is devastating, Guterres said.
“For scientists, it is unequivocal — humans are to blame,” Guterres said. “All this is entirely consistent with predictions and repeated warnings. The only surprise is the speed of the change. Climate change is here. It is terrifying, and it is just the beginning.”
Guterres declared that the era of global warming is now over, and the era of “global boiling” has arrived, rendering vast areas of North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe inhospitable and the entire planet facing disaster.
The consequences of climate change have become unbearable, and the pursuit of profit from climate inaction is unacceptable. He called on leaders to step up and take decisive action to tackle this global crisis.
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According to CNBC, Phoenix experienced an exceptionally brutal summer, breaking a 1974 record for consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit, as reported by the National Weather Service.
Guterres expressed that it is still feasible to limit global warming to 1.5° Celsius above preindustrial levels, as outlined in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, but it requires immediate and drastic climate action. While some progress has been made in the adoption of renewable energy and certain sectors taking positive steps, Guterres stressed that these efforts are not sufficient in scale or speed.
He called for a significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions and urged fossil fuel companies to transition to clean energy with well-defined plans across their entire value chain, devoid of greenwashing or deception.
Additionally, Guterres urged all nations to protect their citizens from the devastating impacts of scorching heat, deadly floods, storms, droughts, and raging fires.
