The demonstrations take place two months before this year’s United Nations COP28 climate summit, where more than 80 countries plan to push for a global agreement to gradually phase out coal, oil and gas.
The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change, but countries have never agreed in UN climate talks to phase out fossil fuels – though they have committed to phase down use of coal power.
Governments reliant on oil and gas revenues, and those planning to use fossil fuel-based energy to improve poor communities’ living standards, are expected to push back on the proposal.
Wealthy nations will also face pressure to offer far more funding to help developing countries invest in low-carbon energy.
Renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels in terms of its running costs, but communities need support to make the upfront investments required to quickly build wind farms and install solar panels.
Despite having plentiful solar energy resources, Africa received only 2 per cent of global investments in renewable energy over the last two decades, the International Renewable Energy Agency has said.
Around 15,000 people were expected to join a march in New York on Sunday, as leaders gather for next week’s UN General Assembly, as well as a “climate ambition summit” on Wednesday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to ask governments to strengthen their plans for cutting planet-warming emissions.
A UN report last week warned that the world was on a dangerous track toward severe global warming, and said more action was needed on all fronts, including a drastic drop in coal-fuelled power use by 2030.
The report also urged a massive boost in financial investment to developing countries for both clean energy and measures to adapt to rising heat, worsening storms and other consequences of the warming climate, the UN said.
Source: CNA
