Climate change is sliding down the international agenda, increasing the risk that governments will slow their pace of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the head of a global climate watchdog has told Sky News. ‘energy.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in DavosFatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the vibe at the Swiss resort seemed to lack the urgency needed to keep global warming to 1.5C.
The organization he leads works with countries around the world to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future.
But Mr Birol said: “I feel that climate change and its urgency are slipping down the agenda.
“The energy crisis is very important – it is crucial.
“The food crisis is very important.
“But the climate crisis is also very important.
“I don’t see the commitment and commitment from people that I’ve seen over the last few years… It’s not something we can forget and it’s a real problem.”
The comments came as climate protesters including Greta Thunbergmarched in Davos, urging investors gathered here not to pour more money into new fossil fuel projects.
Most of the WEF attendees had already left the summit by the time of Friday’s march, but Ms Thunberg and others met the previous day with Mr Birol, whose institution said that if the world were to reach net zero greenhouse gases, it had to refrain from any new oil and gas exploration projects.
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The forum’s annual winter meetings – the first to take place since 2020 – have been dominated by discussions of the global economy and Ukraine.
Although the climate discussions remained important, they were less important than at this last meeting.
“It’s now or never”
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, argued that it was now up to her fellow politicians to rise to the challenge.
She told Sky News: “We are the last generation of politicians who can solve this problem.
“Precedents haven’t. It’s now or never. Our voters want it from us. Our younger generations want it from us. If we don’t decide, we can’t leave it to them.”
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Greta Thunberg speaks out after her detention
The four-day conference ended on Friday.
Although less frequented than in previous years, it nevertheless attracted political leaders from all over the world.
A notable exception was the UK, which sent neither its prime minister nor its chancellor for the first time in nearly two decades.
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