UN calls coronavirus tragedy an “opportunity” to fund green industries

The secretary general of the United Nations has declared the coronavirus tragedy is actually an “opportunity” to pour trillions of dollars into climate change fighting industries. UN boss António Guterres made the extraordinary comments in an opinion piece for the New York Times where he said the world must not return to where it was “before the pandemic”. “It is an opportunity to build more sustainable and inclusive societies — a more resilient and prosperous world,” he said. “To resolve both emergencies, we must work together as an international community. Like the coronavirus, greenhouse gases respect no boundaries. Isolation is a trap. No country can succeed alone.” Mr Guterres – who has been a member of Portugal’s Socialist Party for several decades – argues the world can accelerate green technology off the back of the killer coronavirus. “As we spend trillions to recover from Covid-19, we must deliver new jobs and businesses through a clean, green transition. Investments must accelerate the decarbonization of all aspects of our economy “Governments must honor their commitments to present new national climate plans and longer-term strategies to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” Mr Guterres is not the only international voice to describe the coronavirus as an opportunity for climate change or attempt to use the tragedy to raise green funds. Sensing that countries have put expensive energy reforms on the backburner until the scale of economic devastation is known, the financial arm of the Paris Agreement made similar statements earlier this month The Green Climate Fund said COVID-19 was an “opportunity” to raise funds for climate change action and “relaunch economies on low-emission, climate-resilient trajectories”. “While COVID-19 is causing untold suffering, the international response to this unprecedented health crisis in modern times offers an opportunity to direct finances towards bolstering climate action. GCF will continue to make critical investments in climate-resilient water resource management, health care facilities, agriculture and livelihoods – all of which are essential to subduing and overcoming the pandemic,” the organisation wrote in an official public update. “Similarly, we will step up our efforts to catalyse green investment to relaunch economies on low-emission, climate-resilient trajectories. “The Green Climate Fund is confident that only a united approach – bringing together determined efforts and innovation – will provide lasting solutions to both the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.”

from World | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/3bPWx0x