Islam Uddin
10 August 2021•Update: 11 August 2021
ANKARA
The Australian prime minister on Tuesday refused to commit to the UN target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Speaking to reporters, Scott Morrison said: "I won't be signing a blank cheque on behalf of Australians to targets without plans."
“Australians deserve to know the implications and the costs and what the plans are," Morrison added.
On Monday, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that over the next 20 years, the global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.
A report by the IPCC experts projected that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions, saying for 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons.
“At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health,” the report added.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Working Group's report was nothing less than "a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable".
He added that ahead of the Glasgow climate conference in November, all nations – especially the advanced G20 economies – needed to join the net zero emissions coalition, and reinforce their promises on slowing down and reversing global heating, "with credible, concrete, and enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)" that lay out detailed steps.
However, the Australian prime minister said he will set out a clear plan that his citizens deserve to know.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid
