GENEVA: The United Nations (UN) human rights chief, Volker Turk, issued a stark warning on Monday, stating that climate change poses a “truly terrifying” future of hunger and suffering. Turk criticized world leaders for their short-term thinking in addressing the climate crisis.
Speaking at a UN Human Rights Council debate on the right to food, Turk highlighted how extreme weather events are devastating crops, herds, and ecosystems, preventing communities from rebuilding and sustaining themselves. He noted that more than 828 million people faced hunger in 2021, and climate change could put an additional 80 million people at risk of hunger by the mid-century.
“Our environment is burning. It’s melting. It’s flooding. It’s depleting. It is drying. It is dying,” the UN rights chief said, describing a dystopian future. He emphasized that addressing climate change is a human rights issue and stressed the urgency to act now.
Steps to Combat Climate Change
The Paris Agreement of 2015 aimed to limit global warming to “well below” two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a target of 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible. However, current policy trends show that the planet is likely to warm by 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the current century, the UN’s IPCC climate science advisory panel maintained.
“We must not deliver this future of suffering and hunger to our children, and their children. And we don’t have to,” Turk asserted. He called for an end to fossil fuel industry subsidies and emphasized the crucial role of the upcoming Dubai COP28 climate summit in November and December as a decisive game-changer.
Turk urged the world to reject “green-washing” and those who cast doubt on climate science for their own selfish interests. He highlighted the need for long-term thinking and immediate action to address the climate crisis.
The 53rd session of the Human Rights Council will continue until July 14.
