UN chief asks to tackle root causes of sea-level rise by capping emissions

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for efforts to tackle the root causes of sea-level rise, primarily by capping greenhouse gas emissions.



"Any overshoot of the 1.5-degree limit (on man-made global temperature increase) must be as small and short as possible. Global emissions must peak immediately, and fall 60 percent by 2035," he told a high-level meeting on sea-level rise.



"We must triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency, slash methane emissions, halt and reverse deforestation, and transition away from fossil fuels -- fast and fairly," he said. "The G20 (Group of 20) must lead, and COP31 (UN Climate Change Conference) in T羹rkiye must deliver."



Guterres also stressed the importance of protecting people from rising waters -- by embedding sea-level rise resilience in national adaptation plans, development budgets, infrastructure and land-use decisions; and drawing on science, data, and the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities.



Around 770 million people live less than 5 meters above the high-tide line. Without significant adaptation and mitigation, the risks facing coastal cities and communities could increase tenfold by 2100, he said.