UK Prime Minister: "One Minute Left on the Doomsday Clock"... Warning of Climate Disaster

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned at the opening ceremony of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that there is little time left to prevent humanity's catastrophe caused by climate change.

On the 1st (local time), Prime Minister Johnson stated at the opening ceremony of the two-day special summit, a key event of COP26 held in Glasgow, UK, "Humanity has long since used up the remaining time on climate change," adding, "The Doomsday Clock is one minute to midnight, and we need to act now."

Johnson further emphasized, "If we do not take climate change seriously today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow."

He also stressed, "We must recognize the seriousness of climate change," and "The world needs to know when (the climate disaster) will occur."

COP26 is a gathering of countries seeking a new world order to confront the global threat of climate change, continuing until the 12th.

The host country, the UK, is holding a special summit from today until the 2nd to unite the will of world leaders to achieve the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

The summit is attended by over 130 heads of state, including President Moon Jae-in, who is touring Europe, as well as leaders from the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and others.

At this Conference of the Parties, more than 90 climate change agendas will be discussed in areas such as reduction, adaptation, finance, and technology transfer.

The biggest issue is to reach an agreement on the international carbon market and complete the Paris Rulebook, the detailed implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement.

Previously, when compiling the carbon reduction plans submitted by each country, forecasts indicated that the goal of limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, agreed upon in the Paris Agreement, would not be achieved. Therefore, there is a view that only with advanced carbon reduction plans emerging from this COP26 can the impending climate disaster be prevented.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.