Sir David Attenborough has given a dire warning on the impact of climate change and has urged world leaders to act at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Katowice, Poland.
Sir Attenborough was chosen to represent the world’s people addressing delegates of 200 nations.
“Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale,” Sir Attenborough said.
“Our greatest threat in thousands of years – climate change.
“If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.
“The world’s people have spoken. Their message is clear – time is running out. They want you, the decision makers, to act now. They’re behind you, along with civil society, represented here today, supporting you in making tough decisions, but also willing to make sacrifices in their daily lives.
“To help make change happen, the United Nations is launching the Act Now Bot, helping people to discover simple everyday actions they can make because they recognise that they too must play their part.
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“The people have spoken. Leaders of the world, you must lead. The continuation of our civilisations and the natural world upon which we depend is in your hands.”
Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres reinforced the urgency of the situation, stating, “We are in deep trouble with climate change.
“This meeting is the most important gathering on Climate Change since the Paris Agreement was signed.
“We need a complete transformation of our global energy economy, as well as how we manage land and forest resources.
“We need to embrace low-carbon, climate-resilient sustainable development.”
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A major theme of the summit is promoting a ‘just transition’ for workers in fossil fuel industries into other jobs.
In November, Bill Shorten announced Federal Labor’s energy policy which included Just Transition Authority, as well as a 50 per cent renewables target for 2030. Labor also proposed an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030, a target the Greens have urged to be pushed to 90 per cent.
Watch Sir David Attenborough’s full address below.
“We’re facing a man-made disaster of global scale… time is running out” – Sir David Attenborough issues warning at UN Climate Conference #COP24 in Poland https://t.co/I8q5wKRm3v pic.twitter.com/e2GlRChign
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 3, 2018
