Amsterdam – The UN global stocktake on progress against the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, released today, shows a massive shortfall in climate action, ambition and accountability by governments amidst devastating climate impacts worldwide, and a critical need to correct course.
Responding to the report, Kaisa Kosonen, Policy Coordinator, Greenpeace International said:
“Our house is burning down and the people with the power to save us are still sipping coffee pretending it’s not happening.
“No government can claim they didn’t know how to fix the climate problem. They’ve been thrown a lifesaver again and again by scientists, and now we have this report. What the world is waiting for is action; leadership. We need the biggest players to use their power to avert climate chaos, and to flex their muscle to protect human life rather than protecting corporate polluters.
“At this year’s UN climate summit, governments must agree to end the use of oil, gas, and coal in a fast and fair way and make the polluters pay. Leaders can no longer smile and claim they support the Paris Agreement and its 1.5°C warming limit, if they fail to give fossil fuels an end date and continue their expansion.
“The solutions are ready – renewables are now the cheapest power source – but we’ve got to push the fossil fuel industry out of the way. Fossil fuel corporations are holding us hostage, but their time’s up.”
ENDS
Contact:
Greenpeace International Press Desk: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)