UN chief: ‘Leadership gap’ undermines global climate efforts

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the United Nations says a “leadership gap” is undermining the world’s efforts to curb global warming days before presidents and prime ministers gather for a climate summit in Scotland. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that time is running out to cut greenhouse gas and avert the worst of global warming. Guterres spoke as a new report by the U.N. Environment Programme found that fresh government pledges to cut emissions aren’t strict enough to keep global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. Gueterres said “the emissions gap is the result of a leadership gap” and all countries need to “go an extra mile.”