UN Secretary General António Guterres. By DFID - UK Department for International Development - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/30720847110/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link

UN Secretary General Lashes Out at “Climate Holdout” Australia

Time for a new UN Secretary General? Following on from scolding the entire G20 for failing the holy 1.5C climate mission, Secretary General António Guterres has criticised Australia for not keeping up with the climate efforts of other G20 nations.

UN Secretary-General labels Australia a ‘holdout’ for refusing to do more on climate change

The UN Secretary-General has branded Australia a “holdout” for refusing to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

Published 22 March 2022 at 8:17am
Source: AAP

The United Nations secretary-general has called Australia a “holdout” after Scott Morrison refused to strengthen the nation’s 2030 emissions reduction target.

AdvertisementAntónio Guterres has used an address to a sustainability summit to take an extraordinary public swipe at Australia’s climate change efforts.

“A growing number of G20 developed economies have announced meaningful emissions reductions by 2030 – with a handful of holdouts, such as Australia,” he said.

He said the Paris climate pact’s ambition of limiting global warming to 1.5C was “on life support” but there was still something that could save it.

“Keeping 1.5 alive requires a 45 per cent reduction in global emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by mid-century. That problem was not solved in Glasgow,” the UN chief said.

Read more: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australia-a-holdout-on-climate-un-chief/jzufkwmqw

Sadly Guterres may get his way with Australia.

The ruling Aussie Conservative Coalition, which despite my frequent criticism has so far resisted calls to completely shut down coal, is doing badly in the polls, and may lose to a green Labor coalition in this year’s federal election.

Their Labor Party opponents seem genuinely committed to shutting down coal and much of the rest of the Australian economy in the name of the climate crisis, as opposed to the current ruling federal coalition’s mostly empty green posturing, and have frequently relied on Green Party support to form governments. So even if Labor wins an outright majority in this year’s federal election, they are likely to want to keep the greens close, just in case they need them again in the future.

Even if the coalition somehow scrapes through and secures a win, senior figures in the ruling coalition, like federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, seem fully onboard with Net Zero and the economically illiterate green hydrogen revolution, and may persuade colleagues to do something radical as part of a desperate effort to save their political skins.

So it seems likely that tough times are ahead for Australia, whichever major party wins the next election.

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Curious George
March 23, 2022 7:45 am

Time for a new UN Secretary General? No, time for a new UN. It is totally dysfunctional.

Bruce Cobb
Reply to  Curious George
March 23, 2022 8:15 am

Even better, get rid of the UN altogether. Who needs it? They’ve overstepped, and now they’re done.

March 23, 2022 7:54 am

It’s not just a stupid target, Net Zero is an impossible target. So, I must admit to a rather lurid interest in seeing just how far countries and their electorates will go before they ditch the whole stupid fiasco.Let’s put it this way: what party isn’t going to get elected by removing all the Net Zero insanity … and how long does it take our stupid politicians to realise that all they need to do to get elected is to promise to cut all the green non-science and cut utility and fuel bills at the stroke of a pen?

ResourceGuy
March 23, 2022 8:40 am

At this rate of UN policy fail, the tar sands of Venezuela will be thriving even with mismanagement.

March 23, 2022 9:18 am

Dear UN Secretary General Guterres,
Wake me up when you call Russia, China and India “holdouts”.
Until then there is zero reason to to believe you are sincere about anything you say.

SteveB
March 23, 2022 9:31 am

Naughty Australia, but what about the smoke and destruction of resources in Mariople?

ResourceGuy
March 23, 2022 1:53 pm

He only lashes out at easy targets. China is not one of them.

Ted1
March 24, 2022 6:54 am

Tonio can’t have been up our way lately. Windmills and solar panels by the thousands of acres and more coming!

ResourceGuy
March 24, 2022 2:49 pm

Get a grip Gute.

ResourceGuy
March 24, 2022 2:53 pm

Meanwhile….

WSJ: Australia Alarmed by Prospect of China-Solomon Islands Security PactCanberra says Pacific nations don’t need external security assistance after document suggests Solomons could allow Chinese military presence
The draft document, titled as a framework agreement on security cooperation, said the Solomon Islands could ask China to send armed police and military personnel to quell unrest, among other missions, including disaster response. It also said the Solomon Islands could allow Chinese naval ships to dock in the country and protect the safety of Chinese citizens and major projects.

ResourceGuy
March 24, 2022 2:56 pm

Not to worry, stay focused on climate…till the end

North Korea Test-Fires Intercontinental Ballistic MissileFlight data suggest missile flew higher and longer than ICBM test in November 2017

jelly34
March 24, 2022 3:10 pm

If we follow the UN and Klaus Schwabs directions we will be doomed to poverty FOREVER.All those who are spruiking “Net Zero”will NEVER have to live with these consequences.