UN chief warns failure to tackle global warming ‘suicidal’ as climate talks stall in Poland
Lack of agreement at COP24 event in Poland ‘would compromise our last best chance to stop runaway climate change’, says secretary-general.
Failure to reach an agreement on climate change would be “suicidal”, a UN chief has warned in a dramatic intervention as major international discussions draw to a close.
Secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned attendees from almost 200 nations at the COP24 meeting in Poland that such a conclusion “means sacrifices, but it will benefit us all”.
A group of countries including the EU have pledged to enhance their climate plans before 2020, in response to fresh scientific warnings about the dangers of global warming.
However, other aspects of the talks have seen slow progress, and Mr Guterres’ return after opening the conference last week was seen as a sign of how fraught the situation had become.
Guterres said failure in the talks “would compromise our last best chance to stop runaway climate change”.
“It would not only be immoral, it would be suicidal.”
The secretary-general cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s key report concluding emissions must be cut rapidly within just 12 years to keep warming below 1.5०C.
Over the weekend, a bloc of oil-producing countries made up of the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were accused of stalling progress by objecting to the findings of that report.
Mr Guterres’ call came after the two-week meeting in the coal-mining city of Katowice shifted from the technical phase of discussions to the final political phase, when ministers took over negotiations.
The aim of the summit is to produce a “rulebook” that nations can follow to implement the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
While progress has been made in formulating the rulebook, with a draft text expected on Thursday, it has been marred by disagreements.
Campaigners also warned the current version contains too many loopholes to be effective.
Other issues that have seen disappointing progress are commitments to increase the ambition of emissions cuts, and to provide financial support for poor nations so they can prepare for climate change.
Environmentalists accused powerful players such as the EU of not pushing hard enough for an agreement.
“A new leadership must step up,” said Vanessa Perez-Cirera from WWF.
“We cannot afford to lose one of the 12 years we have remaining.”
Mr Guterres said while he and most people attending the conference would not be alive by the end of the century, children today would see the full impact of uncontrolled climate change.
“I do not want my granddaughters or anybody else’s to suffer the consequences of our failures,” he said.
“They would not forgive us if uncontrolled and spiraling climate change would be our legacy to them.”
Highlight Vocabulary
1. intervention (n)
/ˌɪn.təˈven.ʃən/ action taken to intentionally become involved in a difficult situation in order to improve it or prevent it from getting worse → Sự can thiệp
Half the people questioned said they were opposed to military intervention (in the civil war)
(Một nửa số người được hỏi cho biết họ phản đối sự can thiệp của quân đội (trong cuộc nội chiến))
2. pledge (v)
/pledʒ/ to make a serious or formal promise to give or do something → Cam kết
We are asking people to pledge their support for our campaign
(Chúng tôi đang yêu cầu mọi người cam kết hỗ trợ cho chiến dịch của chúng tôi)
3. negotiation (n)
/nəˌɡəʊ.ʃiˈeɪ.ʃən/ the process of discussing something with someone in order to reach an agreement with them, or the discussions themselves → Cuộc đàm phán
The agreement was reached after a series of difficult negotiations.
(Thỏa thuận đã đạt được sau một loạt các cuộc đàm phán khó khăn.)
4. formulate (v)
/ˈfɔː.mjə.leɪt/ to develop all the details of a plan for doing something → Xây dựng
The Administration said it was formulating a new policy for the Middle East.
(Chính quyền cho biết họ đang xây dựng một chính sách mới cho Trung Đông.)
5. loophole (n)
/ˈluːp.həʊl/ a small mistake in an agreement or law that gives someone the chance to avoid having to do something → sơ hở
The company employed lawyers to find loopholes in environmental protection laws.
(Công ty đã thuê luật sư để tìm ra lỗ hổng trong luật bảo vệ môi trường.)
6. conference (n)
/ˈkɒn.fər.əns/ an event, sometimes lasting a few days, at which there is a group of talks on a particular subject, or a meeting in which especially business matters are discussed formally → Hội nghị
Should I book the conference room for the meeting?
(Tôi có nên đặt một phòng hội nghị cho cuộc họp?)
7. commitment (n)
/kəˈmɪt.mənt/ something that you must do or deal with that takes your time → Cam kết
I’ve got too many commitments at the moment to do an evening class.
(Tôi đã có quá nhiều cam kết tại thời điểm này để tham gia một lớp học buổi tối.)
8. mar (v)
/mɑr/ to spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable → Làm hư hỏng, hủy bỏ
Sadly, the text is marred by careless errors
(Đáng buồn thay, văn bản đã bị hủy hoại bởi những lỗi bất cẩn)
9. spiral (v)
/ˈspaɪə.rəl/ If a situation spirals, it quickly gets worse in a way that becomes more and more difficult to control → Vượt ra khỏi sự kiểm xoát, cuốn vào
Violence in the country is threatening to spiral out of control.
(Bạo lực ở nước này đang đe dọa sẽ vượt khỏi tầm kiểm soát.)
10. draft (n)
/drɑːft/ a piece of text, a formal suggestion, or a drawing in its original state, often containing the main ideas and intentions but not the developed form → Bản dự thảo
I’ve knocked out a first draft of the report which we can amend at a later date.
(Tôi đã đưa ra một bản thảo đầu tiên của báo cáo mà chúng tôi có thể sửa đổi vào một ngày sau đó.)
Người dịch: Nhung Nguyễn
Nguồn: independent.co.uk
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