The 25th United Nations Climate Conference opened in Madrid on Monday at the invitation of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to choose between "hope" to live a better world through action or "surrender" at a time when mankind is suffering from the consequences of climate change. No return "approx.
The talks began against the backdrop of increasingly obvious effects of global warming over the past year, as forest fires raged from the Arctic to the Amazon to Australia, while devastating hurricanes hit tropical areas.
As scientific reports pile up for concern, Guterres said in his opening speech to COP 25 that humanity must choose between "hope" to live in a better world through action, or "surrender."
"Do we really want history to describe us as the generation that followed the example of the ostrich, which was hiking as the world burned?" He told representatives of some 200 signatories to the Paris Convention, including about 40 heads of state and government.
frustration
"The other option is the path of hope - the path of solution and durable solutions - the way fossil fuels remain where they should be: in the soil, by which we achieve carbon neutrality by 2050," he said, calling in particular for an end to "coal addiction."
He also expressed "frustration" at the slow pace of change and reiterated his call for drastic and urgent action. Guterres said the 2015 Paris Agreement was a "serious promise" to people around the world.
"Let us listen to the crowds demanding change, open our eyes to the imminent threat that lies ahead, and be open to the scientific consensus," he said. "Let us show the political will that people expect from us.
The conference aims to finalize the preparations needed to support the 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at tackling climate change, and is entering a crucial phase of implementation next year.
Researchers say the current pledges under the deal are slightly less than necessary to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of global warming, including rising sea levels, droughts and storms.