The United Nations secretary-general appealed that the war in Ukraine and the need to offset dependence on Russian oil and gas not be used to increase dependence on fossil fuels.
In a speech delivered this Friday at the Energy and Climate Economic Forum held in Washington with the participation of President Joe Biden, António Guterres sent a clear message to the representatives of the world’s largest economies: “The first duty of leaders is protect people from the dangers of the present. And nothing can be more evident and present than the danger of the expansion of fossil fuels. Although it is in the short term, it does not feel politically or economically.”
The UN secretary-general also denounced what he described as the fossil energy industry’s heavy investments in public relations and pseudoscience, promoting a false narrative to “play down climate change and undermine ambitious policies” to combat it. Comparing this strategy with the one followed by the tobacco industry for decades. to avoid their responsibilities.
For decades, the fossil fuel industry has invested in pseudoscience and public relations, with a false narrative to downplay its responsibility for climate change and undermine ambitious climate policies.
They exploited the same outrageous tactics as Big Tobacco decades before.
— Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 17, 2022
For António Guterres, the argument that neglects climate action to give priority to domestic problems does not work either. “If we had invested earlier and more massively in renewable energies, we would not be at the mercy of the instability of the fossil markets again.”
And he left the call. “We will make sure that the war in Ukraine is not used to increase this dependency.” Also pointing out that the most worrying current problems such as inflation and fuel prices are also climate problems and fossil fuels.
The “mathematics is simple,” said the UN Secretary-General. The “current model of infinite growth in a world that has limited physical resources will result in a triple whammy of inflation, climate chaos, and conflict.” Guterres also defended that the solution is clear and goes through the infinite resources that are within our reach to respond to energy needs: “The wind, the sun and the tides never end.”
Source: Observadora
