UN lauds global progress in green energy, calls for more action

The Dollar Business Bureau

It has been a little over one year since the Paris deal on Climate change was signed in December 2015, and only a few months since it came into effect after being ratified by around 130 nations.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, drew attention to the fast expanding clean energy revolution at a UN General Assembly event on March 25, 2017. The international peace-keeping mission leader emphasized India's long strides in augmenting renewable energy capacity, as he spoke about India's target to almost double renewable power capacity to 18GW in 2017.

He mentioned that more than half of the new capacity in energy generation worldwide was being created in the green fuel sector. In Europe, the share is more than 90%. While there are already 8 million people employed in the sector, it has been identified as one that's going to create numerous job opportunities in the near future, outpacing the traditional fuel economy in employment generation.

"So the trend is clear, the world is moving towards a green economy. Governments and business increasingly understand that there is no trade-off between a healthy environment and a healthy economy,” he said.

Drawing focus to the direct threat that climate changes poses to peace, prosperity, and the goals of sustainable development, the UN Chief called for greater political momentum to attack the problem, as it was a 'real' and 'scientifically proven' danger.

It was established that the realisation of UN 2030 agenda was contingent on restraining the rising temperatures to well below 2 degree Celsius, as agreed upon at COP21, the global summit on climate change.

Water and food scarcity, displacement and poverty were cited as ramifications of letting climate change out of hand.

“We can have both. Green business is good business. Climate action is a necessity and can advance the attainment of sustainable development goals,” he said 

Calling upon administrations all over the world to take decisive and urgent measures in curbing global warming, Guterres said that it was the only way to safeguard future sustainability.