PARIS, France – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday warned of an imminent “climate catastrophe” while environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg dismissed Saturday’s COP26 climate conference deal as “blah, blah, blah.”
And those who welcomed the deal in Glasgow also said there was much work to be done.
In a statement after the deal was reached at the Glasgow summit on Saturday evening, Guterres acknowledged the shortcomings of the deal.
“The #COP26 result is a compromise, reflecting the state of interests, contradictions and political will in the world today,” he tweeted. “It’s an important step, but it’s not enough.”
“Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” he warned, “we are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.”
In a follow-up tweet, the UN chief sent a message to “young people, indigenous communities, women leaders, all those who are moving forward on #ClimateAction.”
“I know you may be disappointed. But we are in the fight for our lives and this battle has to be won.”
A man passes a shop with a phrase used by climate activist Greta Thunberg on its windows as a protest organized by the COP26 Coalition, which hosts the COP26 United Nations climate summit, from Glasgow, Scotland The city passes, November 6, 2021 ( AP/Alberto Pezzali)
Thunberg, arguably the world’s most famous environmental campaigner, was more blunt in her assessment.
“#COP26 is over,” she tweeted. “Here’s a short summary: blah, blah, blah. But the real work continues outside these halls. And we’ll never give up.”
During the conference, Thunberg and other activists condemned the way it was playing out, arguing that world leaders had failed to match their words with actual action.
‘Hard work ahead’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained relatively upbeat.
“There’s still a huge amount to come in the coming years,” Johnson said.
“But today’s agreement is a big step forward and, critically, we have the first international agreement to phase out coal and a roadmap to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.”
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves the stage after speaking during the opening ceremony of the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on November 1, 2021. (Paul Ellis/AFP)
A statement from the European Commission said the deal met the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord, “giving us the opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5 °C.”
Commission chair Ursula von der Leyen said delegates at the conference had made progress on commitments to cut hazardous emissions and raise $100 billion annually to help vulnerable and developing countries.
“But there will be no time to rest: there is still hard work ahead,” she said.
During the final talks, China and India insisted on weakening the language on fossil fuels in the final summit decision text. In recent times, the Australian government has vowed to sell coal for decades to come.
But former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, now president of the Asia Society, remained hopeful.
“While the official text may have precluded agreeing to phase out coal, statements made by world leaders in Glasgow leave no doubt that coal is being sent down for history.”
For Britain’s COP26 president Alok Sharma, the long, drawn-out talks had taken a toll.
“I apologize for the way this process unfolded,” Sharma said. “I am deeply sorry,” he added before thrashing his gavel.