UN Sec-Gen Calls For Elimination Of Fossil Fuel Subsidies

From Azman Ujang MARRAKECH, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Outgoing United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has called on all countries to eliminate subsidies on fossil fuels to accelerate the transition to clean energy as the world faces the grim threat of global warming. "We have no right to gamble with the fate of future generations or imperil the survival of other species that share our planet," he told a UN conference in this Morrocan city of almost 200 countries which for over a week have been working out ways to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Ban said the private sector must do much more to wean the world of fossil fuels with local communities and cities already reducing their carbon footprint. Clean energy sources were being scaled up around the world and last year, for the first time, renewable energy made up more than half of the new power capacity globally, said Ban who will step down at the end of the year after 10 years in office during which he has given action on climate change his top priority. He said more than 150 million people today lived on land that could be submerged or suffer chronic flooding within this century, possibly causing massive waves of migration and instability. "The choice we make today and in the coming decades could lock in catastrophic climate impacts for thousands of years to come. This is an enormous responsibility and opportunity to do what is right for our future," he said. He described the Paris Agreement that was adopted and ratified by more than 100 countries including the United States in record time as one of the most complex international accords ever reached in UN history. It entered into force years ahead of expectations. The UN chief also called on developed countries to honour their commitment to mobilise climate finance of US$100 billion by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate vulnerability. "I am confident my successor will continue to be a strong champion for the most vulnerable. They did the least to create the climate crisis and should not suffer its worst effects," he said, referring to developed countries which are the worst emitters of greenhouse gas. "This is my last UN conference on climate change as secretary-general. I leave you with the hope that we will have the courage, tenacity and wisdom to live up to our responsibility to future generations by protecting our only home: this beautiful planet Earth"," he said. Patricia Espinosa, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) paid tribute to Ban for his tireless and unwavering support for a universal climate change agreement by attending every climate change conference during his tenure and exercising "unprecedented political leadership". "The result is historic unity on a critical issue. Your legacy will make a positive difference in the lives of billions of people," she told the conference attended by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, heads of state and government and ministers in charge of enviroment. At a press conference later, Ban said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's stance on climate change would not halt the now unstoppable global action on the phenomenon. "What was once unthinkable has become unstoppable," he said, adding that he hoped Trump would drop his pledge to cancel the Paris Agreement and his view that man-made climate change was a hoax. "As president of the United States, I hope he understands this, listens and evaluates his campaign remarks. US companies including General Mills and Kellogg and states like California and cities like Washington, Nashville and Las Vegas are working to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. "Mr Trump is a very successful business person and will understand that market forces are already acting to push the world economy towards cleaner energies, away from fossil fuels," said Ban. --BERNAMA