UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for countries to fast-track infrastructure and eliminate bureaucratic barriers to expanding clean energy adoption, Wednesday, as the international body issued an alarming report. Guterres also described, “The war in Ukraine and its immediate effects on energy prices [as] yet another wake-up call.”
The UN World Meteorological Organization reported record-breaking atmospheric CO2 levels, ocean temperatures, sea levels, and ice loss all in 2021 and amounted to “a dismal litany of humanity’s failure to tackle climate disruption,” according to Guterres. He also called for wealthy nations to make energy technology IP “freely available public good” and demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies that dole out $11 million to coal, oil and gas companies “every minute of every day.” About $9 million in the time it has taken you to read this paragraph. (Bloomberg $, CNN, AP, Axios, Forbes, Reuters, The Independent, Axios, The Hill, NBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Guardian)