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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below
🗞️ Driving the news: UN Secretary-General António Guterres lambasts wealthy nations and the fossil fuel industry for their sluggish response to the climate crisis at a UN climate ambition summit
• Guterres states humanity has "opened the gates of hell" with escalating climate catastrophes, urging nations to expedite the shift to clean energy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040
🔭 The context: Several leaders of major carbon-emitting countries like the US, China, France, and India were absent from the summit
• Their absence and the dilution of climate policies underscore the global shortfall in efforts to combat climate change
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The slow progress and insufficient measures by wealthy nations are hampering the fight against climate change, impacting vulnerable nations and global ecosystems
• The failure to deliver promised climate aid and the difficulties in securing financing are putting at risk the infrastructure needed to adapt to a world facing fiercer climatic events
⏭️ What’s next: Despite the stark warnings and some measures announced, a significant gap remains in the actions required to avert catastrophic climate change
• The upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai this November holds little optimism for bridging this gap, emphasizing the urgent need for transformative shifts to address the climate crisis
💬 One quote: “The longer we remain addicted to fossil fuels, the longer we commit ourselves to mutual decline.” (Kausea Natano, Prime Minister of Tuvalu)
📈 One stat: Despite the commitments, the world is heading towards a “dangerous and unstable” future of 2.8C global heating compared to the pre-industrial era, signaling the immense disparity between necessary actions and the efforts being made
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