UN chief calls for credible climate action, convenes summit

By EDITH M. LEDERER and FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief is warning that the world is failing to address the “existential threat” from global warning. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Monday that he will convene a “Climate Action Summit” in September to accelerate an urgent response to the climate crisis. He said the “non-negotiable” price of entry to the summit for leaders from governments, business, cities, civil society and finance, will be “new, credible climate action to accelerate the pace of change.” He said: “There will be no room for back-sliders, green-washers, blame-shifters or repackaging of announcements of previous years.” Guterres said the goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) “is gasping for breath.”