Do Not Work for Those Wrecking Our Climate: UN Secretary-General to IIT Bombay Students

I respectfully urge you to not to work for those who are wrecking our climate, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres while addressing students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Bombay.

He further asked students to use their talents in developing renewable energy to combat the planetary emergence that the world faces today.

“I can see here today that India’s research and innovation ecosystem is strong and vibrant. I urge the students to use their considerable talents to tackle the planetary emergence we face to develop renewable technology,” he said before adding that it could help in curtailing the damage caused by pollution and other factors to the planet’s biodiversity.

A short video from the occasion was shared on the UN Secretary General’s official Twitter account. “India has an unprecedented opportunity to speak up for the Global South and to lead by example, as a model of resilience and an advocate for sustainable development & climate justice,” read the caption posted with the video.

According to reports, Guterres further stated at the event that a historical pact between developed and developing countries was required to deal with climate change and keep the temperature under control.

He asserted that the G20 countries are responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions and must take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases, adding that the climate crisis may be the most significant barrier to collective development aspirations, and India is no exception.

The United Nations Secretary-General went on to say that climate change and environmental degradation are already a serious threat to India’s economy, agriculture, and food sector. It further had negative impacts on the health, and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in the country.

Guterres emphasized that critical renewable technologies, such as battery storage, should be recognized as global public goods.

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