COP27: Prioritise climate or face catastrophe - UN chief

Unless countries re-prioritise clime alteration the satellite faces catastrophe, the UN main has told BBC News.

Secretary General António Guterres is talking to BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt successful New York.

"There has been a inclination to enactment clime alteration connected the backmost burner," Mr Guterres said. "If we are not capable to reverse the contiguous trend, we volition beryllium doomed."

He was speaking up of a large clime league successful Egypt.

Representatives volition stitchery for COP27 to sermon advancement successful tackling clime change.

Mr Guterres said that existent planetary problems specified arsenic inflation, Russia's penetration of Ukraine and the precocious prices of vigor and nutrient were distracting governments.

"Bring backmost clime alteration to the centre of the planetary debate," helium urged.

The UN main insisted that leaders should not wantonness cardinal goals, including keeping planetary somesthesia emergence to 1.5C successful bid to debar the worst effects of clime change.

He besides said that the attendance astatine the league of caller UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "will beryllium precise encouraging for each of us."

The interrogation comes arsenic a study warned that successful 2021 determination were much greenhouse gases warming our ambiance than ever.

Atmospheric levels of the 3 main greenhouse gases - c dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - reached grounds highs successful 2021, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) study found.

It besides said concentrations of the almighty state methane jumped by the highest magnitude successful 40 years, mystifying experts.

"We are heading successful the incorrect direction," said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

Global leaders volition conscionable successful Sharm el-Sheikh successful Egypt connected 6-18 November to sermon what advancement has been made connected gathering clime goals.

Last twelvemonth astatine COP26, successful Glasgow, governments pledged to chopped backmost oregon halt utilizing fossil fuels, extremity deforestation, and supply wealth to processing countries facing the worst of clime change.

The negotiations this twelvemonth volition absorption connected what advancement has been made and implementing those promises.