NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 20 – “The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change told us three things: that our action should be immediate, rapid, large-scale. It’s also true that we are still struggling with the pandemic, but this is an equally – and perhaps even greater – emergency”: this message was conveyed today by the Italian Prime Prime Minister Mario Draghi to the informal round table on climate called up by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in view of the Glasgow COP26 in November, in which Italy will play a leading role as co-organiser alongside the UK.
China and India didn’t attend the meeting. Draghi spoke in video-conference to what has been defined as the “Climate Moment” on the eve the General Assembly: “If we don’t take this action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions we will not be able to limit global warming below 1.5 degrees”. He recalled last months’ enormous climate disasters which raised the attention on the dramatic impact of climate change. For this reasons, the Italian PM pledged a prominent role for Italy: “We are ready to announce a new financial commitment on climate in the coming weeks”, said Draghi. The new commitments, which add up to the 500 million euros already allocated between 2015 and 2020 in order to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement, could be announced in October in Rome during the leaders’ G20, a meeting that, alongside the Glasgow Conference, represents “an unmissable opportunity to respond to these challenges and demonstrate our collective resolve”.
The Italian Prime Minister was not the only one to denounce the seriousness of the current crisis: “On the basis of the current commitments of the member states, the world is embarked on a catastrophic path towards 2.7 degrees of global warming”, said Guterres, warning that a 45% cut of emissions is necessary by 2030: “If we do not change route collectively, there is a high risk of failure for the COP26”. In turn, British PM Johnson did not hold back his growing dissatisfaction towards rich countries not keeping the promises, such as the 100 billion dollars destined to developing countries, therefore jeopardising the outcome of the COP26. (@giorgiodelgallo)