BINIBIGYANG-DIIN ang lumalawak na solar capacity ng India, sinabi ni United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres na pinipili na ng mundo ang ekonomiyang makakalikasan sa panahong patindi nang patindi ang banta ng climate change sa pag-unlad ng mga bansa at ng mundo sa kabuuan.

“Around the world, over half of new power generation capacity now comes from renewables. In Europe, the figure is more than 90 percent. In the US and China, new renewable energy jobs now outstrip those created in the oil and gas industries. Globally, over 8 million people work in the renewables sector,” sabi ni UN Seretary General Guterres.

Inilahad niya ito sa kanyang talumpati sa UN General Assembly High-Level action event kamakailan na layuning palakasin pa ang impluwensiyang pulitikal sa climate change, binibigyang-diin ang malalim nitong kaugnayan sa UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

“This year, Saudi Arabia announced plans to install 700 megawatts of solar and wind power. And industry experts predict India’s solar capacity will double in 2017 to 18 gigawatts. So the trend is clear, the world is moving towards a green economy. Governments and business increasingly understand that there is no trade-off between a healthy environment and a healthy economy,” sabi ni Guterres.

Aniya, ang climate change ay isang lumalalang banta sa kapayapaan, kasaganahan at kaunlaran sa mundo at ang pagtugon dito ay nagbibigay ng oportunidad na pang-ekonomiya para sa mga pamahalaan at mga negosyo.

“We are dealing with scientific facts, not politics. And the facts are clear. Climate change is a direct threat in itself, and a multiplier of many other threats,” sabi ni Guterres. “First, climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat to peace and prosperity and the same in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals. Second, addressing climate change is a massive opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.”

Ang Paris Agreement sa climate change na pinagtibay noong Disyembre 2015 ay pambihira sa kabuuan nito, dahil ang bawat isang gobyerno ay lumagda rito. Ineendorso ng kasunduan ang pagpapatupad nito bago pa man mag-isang taon at sa kasalukuyan ay nasa mahigit 130 partido na ang nagratipika nito, ayon kay Guterres.

Aniya, ang mga bansang sumuporta sa Paris Agreement ay pareho lang sa mga nagpatibay sa 2030 Agenda, na binubuo ng lahat ng miyembrong bansa.

“The reason for this consensus is clear: all nations recognise that implementing the 2030 Agenda goes hand-in-glove with limiting global temperature rise and increasing climate resilience,” sabi ng UN chief. - PNA