Greta Thunberg: Not Phasing Out Fossil Fuels Is ‘Death Sentence’ For Poor

"Climate activist says only ‘rapid and equitable’ phaseout will keep temperatures within 1.5C limit".

"Rich countries are signing a “death sentence” for millions of poor people around the world by failing to phase out fossil fuels, the climate activist Greta Thunberg has told governments.

She warned on Tuesday that with annual greenhouse gas emissions at an all-time high, only a “rapid and equitable” phaseout of fossil fuels would keep global temperatures within the scientifically advised limit of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

“The coming months and years – right now – will be crucial to what the future looks like. It is what we decide now that will define the rest of humanity’s future,” she told a press conference at UN talks in Bonn, where governments are meeting to discuss the climate crisis.

“If we do not [phase out fossil fuels], it will be a death sentence for countless people. It is already a death sentence for countless people,” she said."

Fiona Harvey reports for the Guardian June 13, 2023.

Source: Guardian, 06/14/2023