United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that it is not too late to “stop the worst” of the climate crisis, but only with “dramatic, immediate” action. Guterres made the comments as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced today that the first three weeks of July have been the warmest three-week period on record and the month is on track to be the hottest July and the hottest month on record.
“The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, where the temperature outside was approaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degree Celsius) before 10 a.m. and set to hit 91 degrees Fahrenheit (32.8 degree Celsius) later in the day.
“We don’t have to wait for the end of the month to know this. Short of a mini-Ice Age over the next days, July 2023 will shatter records across the board.”
He spoke as the World Meteorological Organization and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) released new data confirming July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded.
“According to the data released today, July has already seen the hottest three-week period ever recorded; the three hottest days on record; and the highest-ever ocean temperatures for this time of year,” Guterres said.
The UN chief, who has been ringing the alarm bell on the climate crisis since he entered office in January 2017, noted it has been a difficult summer in many parts of the world because of climate-related events, including fires, floods and scorching heat.
“For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe – it is a cruel summer. For the entire planet, it is a disaster,” he said. “And for scientists, it is unequivocal – humans are to blame.”
Guterres said the rising temperatures are consistent with all the scientific predictions; the only surprise is how fast it is happening. He acknowledged progress on renewable energies and positive steps from industrial sectors but warned that none of it is going far or fast enough.
“Accelerating temperatures demand accelerated action,” the UN secretary-general said.
Guterres called for ambitious new national emissions reduction targets from G20 countries — as they are responsible for 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. He urged developed countries to reach net zero emissions as close as possible to the target date of 2040, and emerging economies by 2050.
The UN chief also repeated his mantra that there must be a transition away from fossil fuels to renewables.
“And we must reach net zero electricity by 2035 in developed countries and 2040 elsewhere, as we work to bring affordable electricity to everyone on Earth,” the secretary-general noted.
He said countries on the climate “frontlines” - who have contributed the least to the climate crisis -need financial help from developed nations for adaptation and mitigation. Developed countries have committed to contributing $100 billion per year to help developing countries, but they have fallen short. Guterres urged them to honor those commitments.
In September, the UN chief will convene a Climate Ambition Summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly high-level week, ahead of November’s two-week long climate review conference — COP28 — in Dubai.
The record temperatures this summer have been related to heatwaves in large parts of North America, Asia and Europe, which along with wildfires in countries including Canada and Greece, have had major impacts on people’s health, the environment and economies.
The first three weeks of July have been the warmest three-week period on record. According to WMO, global mean temperature temporarily exceeded the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold above preindustrial level during the first and third week of the month. Since May, the global average sea surface temperature has been well above previously observed values for the time of the year, contributing to the exceptionally warm July.
The World Meteorological Organization says it is extremely likely that July 2023 will be the hottest month ever recorded. According to C3S data the previous hottest month on record was July 2019.
“The extreme weather which has affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a foretaste of the future,” said World Meteorological Organization’s Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
“The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever before. Climate action is not a luxury but a must.”
WMO predicts that there is a 98 percent likelihood that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record and a 66 percent chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5 degree Celsius above the 1850-1900 average for at least one of the five years. But the UN organization cautions that this does not mean that the world will permanently exceed the 1.5 degree Celsius level specified in the Paris Agreement which refers to long-term warming over many years.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories. Established on 23 March 1950 and specialized in meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences, the United Nations agency is headquartered in Geneva.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.
Further information
Full text: July 2023 is set to be the hottest month on record, WMO press release, published July 27, 2023
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/july-2023-set-be-hottest-month-record