NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater accountability from major climate polluters, urging governments to ensure that those responsible for the largest share of emissions contribute more to addressing climate damage.
In what campaigners described as his final UN climate address, Guterres reaffirmed the importance of keeping the 1.5°C temperature goal alive and said, “Polluters must pay.”
His remarks came a day after the Make Polluters Pay International coalition presented petitions carrying more than two million signatures to the United Nations, calling on governments to make fossil-fuel companies contribute to the costs of climate damage.
The coalition, including 350.org, Greenpeace International, Fossil Free Media and Oxfam International, is calling for measures such as climate-damage taxes, permanent surtaxes on fossil-fuel profits and fines, with revenues directed toward adaptation, recovery, loss and damage and a just transition to renewable energy.
Guterres has previously called for measures including windfall taxes on oil and gas profits and new sources of climate finance for developing countries.
Campaigners said the latest UN intervention demonstrates growing international attention to the demand that fossil-fuel companies contribute to the costs of climate impacts.
Louise Hutchins, Co-Convenor of the Make Polluters Pay International Coalition, said millions of people were calling for fossil-fuel companies to pay their fair share.
Anne Jellema, Executive Director of 350.org, said the delivery of more than two million signatures to the UN reflected growing public support for greater corporate accountability over climate damage.
The campaigners are urging governments to use revenues from fossil-fuel taxation to support vulnerable communities, adaptation and loss-and-damage efforts while accelerating the transition to clean and affordable energy.
