Oxford - London: Europe and the Arabs
Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that "the extraction and burning of fossil fuels is trapping humanity in a furnace." He noted that "those responsible for warming our planet have deliberately ignored and obstructed science, prevented change, and made vast profits with impunity." He said that we are already suffering the consequences. He stressed the need to achieve climate justice.
This came during a lecture he delivered at Oxford University on Tuesday, in which he focused on the existential threats facing the planet, warning that the effects of climate are already hitting every country—with enormous human and economic costs.
He explained that "nearly half of humanity lives in climate hotspots where people are 15 times more likely to die from climate-related causes," according to the UN daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning.
The High Commissioner addressed the problem of global food systems that are driving an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, with "8 million plant and animal species threatened with extinction." He warned of increasing pollution, predicting that "by 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish."
Türk concluded his remarks by calling for a radical rethinking of our relationship with the world, emphasizing that "the climate crisis is not just a matter of weather, renewable energy—or even fossil fuels. It goes beyond renewable energy—beyond subsidies—beyond a just transition—it calls on us to shape new ways of living."
He emphasized that "we are part of nature, and our destiny is inextricably linked to nature." He urged a new politics rooted in honesty, fact-based understanding, and a commitment to justice for all, noting that "89% of the world's population wants stronger action to combat the climate crisis."
The UN official warned that without a radical change of course, "future generations will inherit a hotter, more polluted, and more dangerous world."