ON day two of the Conference of Parties 26, (COP26) currently under way in Glasgow, Scotland, United Nations (UN) Secretary General , Antonio Guterres sent out a blunt message with regards to the dependency on fossil fuels which has serious repercussions to humanity and the planet through unsustainable global heating.
Addressing the summit on Monday, the U.N Chief said, “The six years since the Paris Climate Agreement have been the six hottest years on record. Our addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink.
“We face a stark choice. Either we stop it – or it stops us,” he said. Guterres went on to emphasise on five key aspects that need to be taken care of in order to mitigate the effects of global warming induced climate change.
These are; saying enough to brutalising biodiversity, keeping the 1.5 degrees alive (by revisiting national climate change plans and policies), protecting vulnerable communities from climate -related disasters, creation of a US$100 billion climate finance commitment for supporting developing nations and building on progress made thus far.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is among the estimated 120 World leaders attending the global climate conference and is expected to outline the Southern African Nation’s roadmap towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Ahead of the global conference, President Mnangagwa said that Zimbabwe was committed towards reducing emissions by 40% before the year 2030.
Experts have reported that Zimbabwe’s temperatures have risen by an estimated 2 degrees celsius over the past century.
This has resulted in a remarkable increase in weather conditions such as a series of droughts over the past two decades.
