The climate emergency is a race that we are losing and it is once we can win says the United Nation’s General Secretary Atonio Gueterres.

Speaking at the opening of the Climate Action Summit that got underway today at the UN Headquaters in New York, Gueterres says as carbon pollution, temperatures and climate destruction continue to rise, and public backlash mounts, the Summit has offered a turning point from inertia and into action.

The UN estimates that the world would need to increase its efforts between three- and five-fold to contain climate change to a 1.5°C rise at most – and Gueterres has demanded more action.

_”This is not a climate talk summit. We have had enough talk,” This is not a climate negotiation summit. You don’t negotiate with nature. This is a climate action summit.”_

Meanwhile, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries stand to benefit from this the Summit is expected to benefit from new pathways and practical actions taken by world leaders at the Summit.
Gueterres says global response to climate change needs to change into higher gear.

_”Governments are here to show you are serious about enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. Cities and businesses are here showing what leadership looks like, investing in a green future. Financial actors are here to scale-up action and deploy resources in fundamentally new and meaningful ways. Coalitions are here with partnerships and initiatives to move us closer to a resilient, carbon-neutral world by 2050″_

The Summit is designed to showcase government, business, and civil society efforts to increase their commitments under the Paris Agreement and work toward reducing emissions to essentially zero by mid-century.