GENEVA: 2021 must be the year of action for protecting people against the"disastrous" effects of climate change, the United Nations said on Monday ahead of a crucial US-convened summit.
"This is truly a pivotal year for humanity's future. And this report shows we have no time to waste, climate disruption is here," Guterres said, as he urged countries to"end our war on nature."The report described 2020 as one of the hottest years on record, while greenhouse gas concentrations increased despite the pandemic-related economic slowdown.
The WMO's 56-page annual report documents indicators of the climate system, including increasing land and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, melting ice and extreme weather. Falling short is not an option, Taalas warned:"If we fail with climate mitigation, we will see dramatic impacts which would last for centuries."The report said concentrations of the major greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - continued to increase despite the temporary reduction in emissions in 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shredded economies.