UN Chief: More Fossil Fuel Funding “Delusional”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has again called for OECD countries to fully ditch coal power by 2030, and all others by 2040.

Speaking at the Sixth Austrian World Summit on the climate crisis, Secretary-General Guterres said the war in Ukraine, which has exacerbated the energy crisis, has proven the energy mix is “broken” and renewables represented “the peace plan of the 21st century”.

“The only true path to energy security, stable power prices, prosperity and a liveable planet lies in abandoning polluting fossil fuels, especially coal, and accelerating the renewables-based energy transition,” he said.

Secretary-General Guterres reiterated a five-point plan to set things right:

• Make renewable energy technology a global public good, including dismantling intellectual property barriers to sharing technology
• Improve global access to supply chains for renewable energy technologies, components and raw materials.
• Deal with red tape holding back the renewables revolution.
• Shift energy subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy, while addressing the potential consequences for society’s most vulnerable.
• A tripling of investments in renewables.

“New funding for fossil fuels is delusional,” he stated. “It will only further feed the scourge of war, pollution and climate catastrophe.”

He said while the cost of solar energy and batteries has plummeted 85 per cent and wind power 55 per cent over the past decade, oil and gas have reached record price levels.

Climate Pledges Aren’t Cutting It

Secretary-General Guterres says most nations’ climate pledges are simply not good enough; with current commitments to result in an emissions increase of almost 14 per cent this decade, when emissions should be dropping – and substantially. He noted global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions grew by 6 per cent last year.

And on that note, there will be a signing ceremony today at Parliament House where the newly-minted Albanese Government will formally make good on its election commitment to pledge an emissions reduction of 43 per cent over 2005 levels by 2030 to the United Nations. Under the Morrison Government, the aim was 26-28% over the same time frame.

A 43% reduction is a huge improvement, but it may not be enough in terms of what Australia needs to do to fully play its role in battling climate change. A Climate Council report from last year said Australia should aim to reduce emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2030 – and reach net zero emissions by 2035.

There are indications Labor is prepared to go harder, and it will be under pressure to from the “teals” and the Greens to do so. But it needs to first find its feet, and PM Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen are just a little busy at this moment dealing with the fallout of close to a decade of the previous Morrison Government’s failures on energy on multiple fronts.

The transcript of Secretary-General Guterres’ message to the Sixth Austrian World Summit can be found here.

Earlier this month, Mr. Guterres urged delegates at a summit in Stockholm to “lead us out of this mess”, which he described as a triple planetary crisis – the climate emergency, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.