UN chief reminds world not to forget “even deeper” climate change emergency on Earth Day 50th anniversary

UNITED Nations chief Antonio Guterres has reminded a world battling the coronavirus crisis and its devastating impact on the global economy not to forget the “even deeper emergency” facing the planet of climate change.

CREDIT: United Nations Facebook @unitednations

In a message released for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day today April 22, Guterres describes the pandemic as “the biggest test the world has faced since the Second World War.”

But he also tells the globe’s governments that while the impact of Covid-19 is “immediate and dreadful”, it also serves as a wake-up call to address the environmental crisis.

Massive economic stimulus packages launched by the US, China and some European nations have mainly been aimed at helping existing industries to survive and prevent a worldwide depression, but the UN head wants governments to direct resources at a transition to a greener economy.

“Where taxpayers’ money is used to rescue businesses, it needs to be tied to achieving green jobs and sustainable growth,” he said.

“Public funds should be used to invest in the future, not the past, and flow to sustainable sectors and projects that help the environment and the climate.”

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Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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