UNITED NATIONS: The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in a report released on Thursday, has warned that insufficient action towards climate goals was slowing down the global fight against poverty, hunger and other threatening diseases.
According to the report, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in his message that record temperatures and extreme weather were “causing havoc” across the globe.
The UN chief insisted that the response from the global community was not satisfactory, adding that as showed by the latest UN data, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were only 15 per cent on track ahead of the 2030 Agenda.
According to a Geneva-based agency, WMO, the current policies would lead to global warming of at least 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels during the currency century, which was far ahead the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C.
This year’s summer in the northern hemisphere has been the hottest on record, instigating the UN chief last week to refresh his call for a “surge in action”.
Effects of Climate Change
Meanwhile, after recent devastating floods in Libya that has claimed thousands of lives, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas stressed that the unavailability of adequate forecasting capacity could lead to deadly consequences for a country when faced with extreme weather impacts.
Moreover, extreme weather events are also a leading contributing factor in the spread of global hunger, as the UN estimated that nearly 670 million people may be food insecure in 2030.
“United in Science” included analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that extreme events (heatwaves) and climate change are set to “significantly increase ill health and premature deaths”.
Further findings of the report show that integrating epidemiology and climate information makes it possible to forecast and prepare for outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases, including dengue and malaria.
The WMO-led report maintained that between 1970 and 2021, there were about 12,000 reported disasters from climate, weather and water extremes, resulting $4.3 trillion in economic losses, mostly in developing states.
To reduce global warming to 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas emissions must be brought down by 45 per cent by 2030, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions falling close to net zero by 2050.
