‘The world we know is over’ without urgent climate action, leaders tell Cop31
Marshall Islands president warns of worsening floods as UN chief calls for a windfall tax on oil and gas firms
TL;DR
- The president of the Marshall Islands stated that the world as we know it is over if there is no overwhelming response to the climate crisis, warning of rising sea levels and floods.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres blamed the fossil fuel industry for delaying climate action and called for an end to fossil fuel addiction, proposing a windfall tax on oil and gas profits.
- Leaders from vulnerable nations, like Barbados and the Marshall Islands, emphasized that exceeding the 1.5C Paris target is not an option but a debt against future generations.
- Despite the urgency, major global leaders like those from the US and China were absent from Cop31, with some prioritizing a conference on Artificial Intelligence.
- Scientists expressed growing panic and a sense of things going backwards regarding progress on phasing out fossil fuels.