More than 70 world leaders were due to address the one-day virtual gathering aimed at building momentum for much steeper cuts in planet-warming emissions on the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris climate accord. "That is why today, I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached." Guterres said economic recovery packages launched in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic represented an opportunity to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future - but warned this was not happening fast enough. The trillions of dollars needed for COVID recovery is money that we are borrowing from future generations," he said. Diplomats are watching summit speeches for any signs of significantly stronger climate pledges from countries including China, India and Japan.

Source: bd News24 December 12, 2020 14:15 UTC