China News Service, November 2nd, reported that the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is being held in Glasgow, UK.
The World Meteorological Organization issued a climate report on this occasion, saying that 2015 to 2021 will be the hottest seven years on record, and warning that the earth is entering "unknown territory."
In his speech, UN Secretary-General Guterres warned, "We are digging our own graves."
U.S. President Biden said at the summit that the previous Trump administration withdrew from the "Paris Agreement" and he felt sorry for that.
Reported on October 31, 2021 local time, Greenland, Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter used icebergs to project images to call attention to climate change.
Image source: ICphoto
[United Nations report: The past seven years will be the hottest seven years in history]
In conjunction with the opening of the Climate Conference, the World Meteorological Organization released the "State of the Global Climate in 2021" report.
The report pointed out that the world is "changing before our eyes." For the first time in the 20-year average temperature since 2002, it will be more than 1 degree Celsius higher than the level before industrialization.
In 2020, the global greenhouse gas concentration will rise to a new high.
The concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are respectively 149%, 262% and 123% higher than before industrialization, and will continue until 2021.
The report said that as the temperature continues to rise, the earth is being pushed into an "unknown state."
World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Taras said extreme weather events have become the new normal.
"More and more scientific evidence shows that climate change in some regions is caused by human activities."
The World Meteorological Organization pointed out that another worrying development is global sea level rise.
The sea level has accelerated since 2013, and may hit a new high this year.
From 1993 to 2002, the sea level rose by an average of 2.1 millimeters per year, but between 2013 and 2021, the increase doubled to 4.4 millimeters.
This is mainly because the melting speed of glaciers and ice caps has accelerated.
Sea water is also constantly acidified due to the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases.
According to reports, the ocean absorbs 23% of the carbon dioxide released by humans, and this carbon changes the ocean’s chemical balance.
Data map: On September 22, local time, the wildfire in Sequoia National Park, California, USA continued, and thick smoke obscured the sky.
The picture shows firefighters walking through the mountain fire.
[Guterres: Humans are still heading towards climate disaster]
In response to this latest report, UN Secretary-General Guterres said that the earth is indeed undergoing major changes, and COP26 "must become a turning point for mankind and the earth."
He emphasized that scientists have stated the facts very clearly, "the actions of leaders must be equally clear."
He pointed out that the six years since the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change are the hottest six years on record.
Human dependence on fossil fuels is pushing it to the brink of catastrophe.
Guterres said: "A severe choice is in front of mankind: Either we stop the disaster, or the disaster stops us. There is only one answer: stop the disaster. We must stop the destruction of biodiversity; we must stop human carbon suicide; The attitude of treating nature as a garbage dump must be stopped; the pattern of blindly burning, drilling, and digging must be stopped. We are digging our own graves."
He pointed out: "Some recent commitments have serious problems, but even if they are clear and credible, they are still not enough to prevent humans from sliding into the abyss of climate disaster. Even according to the most optimistic predictions, the temperature rise will be much higher than 2 Celsius. In short, at the opening of this much-anticipated climate conference, mankind is still heading for climate disaster."
Guterres emphasized that the 1.5 degrees Celsius target must be kept unchanged.
To this end, it is necessary to have greater ambitions in reducing emissions and take immediate concrete actions to reduce global emissions by 45% by 2030.
Data map: US President Biden.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liao Pan
[Biden apologizes for Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement]
US President Biden said at the meeting that he was sorry for the previous Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Biden said, "I don't think I should apologize, but I still apologize for the fact that the United States has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement because of the previous administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, and some major things are not good." One of the actions is to return to the Paris Agreement.
Trump claimed that the Paris Agreement would cause job losses, but Biden said in his speech at the Glasgow Climate Summit that fighting climate change will promote economic prosperity rather than harm the economy.
He said: "I think the worsening climate catastrophe presents incredible opportunities. Not only for the United States, but for all of us."
"The United States is not only returning to the negotiating table, but also hoping to lead by example. I know that is not the case at present, but this is why the government under my leadership is stepping up its efforts at this moment."
He promised that the United States will lead the world in combating climate change "with actions, not words."
However, on the same day, U.S. Democratic Senator Manchin told the media in Congress that he still needs some time to consider Biden’s $1.75 trillion social expenditure and climate change framework plan announced last week.
The Democrats hold only 50 seats in the 100-seat Senate, and Manchin’s vote is very important to Biden.
His statement has caused Biden's domestic agenda to suffer a severe setback, which adds uncertainty to whether it can achieve its emission reduction targets.