UN Secretary-General Again Calls For End To Fossil Fuel Subsidies

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged members of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action to keep pushing for a green COVID-19 recovery.

The Coalition, which was launched last year, is comprised of fiscal and economic policymakers from 52 countries striving to integrate climate change issues in their respective economic and financial policies. The group serves as a forum to promote the Helsinki Principles and facilitates exchange of experience and information. Member countries represented approximately 16% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 30% of global GDP in 2017.

It probably won’t come as a shock that Australia isn’t a member country of the Coalition.

In his video message to members who gathered virtually on Monday for the Coalition’s Fourth Ministerial Meeting, the Secretary- General said governments need to align their COVID recovery and stimulus plans with Paris Agreement goals.

“That means investing in green and decent jobs. Do not bail out polluting industries. End fossil-fuel subsidies. And take climate risks into account in all financial and policy decisions.”

This isn’t a new message from Secretary-General Guterres. Last year when he called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, he also commented that taxes should be shifted from salaries to carbon.

“Tax pollution, not people,” he stated.

In his video address, Secretary- General Guterres said all Coalition member countries need to send a “clear and unambiguous” signal to markets that decarbonisation of the global economy was inevitable and to commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

COVID-19 A “Dress Rehearsal”

It’s quite insane that as part of recovery from the damage the coronavirus has and is continuing to wreak that countries should turn to something that has been and will be responsible for even greater economic damage and the deaths of millions more – fossil fuels.

Last month, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría expressed concern that the overall balance between green and non-green spending in COVID-19 recovery wasn’t encouraging at that point.  He noted “green” sectors and related activities offer substantial opportunities for job creation; mentioning solar power employs more people per unit of investment and energy than fossil fuel-based generation.

Secretary- General Guterres stressed coal should not be part of any COVID-19 recovery plans and warned the COVID crisis was a “dress rehearsal” for the even greater climate emergency faced by all nations.

” We need speed, scale, and decisive leadership. I count on this coalition to rise to the challenge.”

Here’s Secretary- General Guterres’s full address:

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Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/guterres-fossil-fuels-mb1720/