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01 December 2019 "For decades the man has been at war with the planet and the planet is making us blow by blow, we must end our war against nature and science tells us that we can do it", said the general secretary of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on the eve of the opening of the climate conference of the United Nations (COP25) in Madrid.

Guterres denounced the "totally insufficient" commitments of the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Anticipating a report from the World Meteorological Organization to be published this week, the general secretary confirmed that, without surprises, 2019 will be among the warmest 5 years.

"The last five years have been the hottest ever recorded," he said, making a list of the other devastating and often "deadly" effects of global warming: rising sea levels, melting polar ice caps, the Drought.

"In summary, climate change is no longer a long-term problem, we are now facing a climate crisis. The point of no return is not far away, it is in sight and is approaching us at full speed," the secretary said general of the UN, which has however kept the "hope" open, especially through the mobilization of young people, citizens in general, cities and companies. "What is still lacking is the political will: the political will to give a carbon price, the political will to stop fossil fuel subsidies, the political will to stop building coal-fired plants by 2020, the political will to pass from an income tax to a carbon tax, "insisted Guterres.

Guterres addressed the main economies in particular: "The major CO2 producers are not doing their part and without them our goal is not attainable". The signatories of the 2015 Paris Agreement, meeting in Madrid from 2 to 13 December, are invited to accelerate measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly and to limit global warming to 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees than to the pre-industrial era.