'Climate change, global warming already posing challenges': Bosnian presidency member

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Bosnia and Herzegovina's Croat member of the presidency said on Wednesday that climate change and global warming crisis has already been here to be responded.

Zeljko Komsic's remarks came in his address at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

According to Komsic, the warnings set out in the 2018 special report and repeated in this year’s report suggest that their activities to fight global warming and climate change are generally not yielding the results that need to be achieved by 2050.

"Climate change has long been not a matter of warning in the scientific community but a crisis situation that is already there. Responding to climate change will cost us a lot, but it will cost even more if we do not take the need to accelerate climate change mitigation seriously," he added.

Komsic noted that it is one of the most important issues today, which is closely related to sustainable development goals as a global need.

"Climate change and global warming, which is visible but also scientifically proven by the work of the International Panel on Climate Change, are a key issue that also limits the course of sustainable development," Komsic explained.

He said Bosnia and Herzegovina has about %40 of green capacity for electricity generation.

The expected gradual shut down of thermal power plants and most of the mines in the next 25-30 years will cause a shortage of electricity that can hardly be replaced in a timely fashion by the green energy capacity, while preserving rivers and ecological biodiversity in accordance with international norms, said Komsic.

The 76th session of the General Assembly opened last week, and the high-level General Debate began on Tuesday, with the attendance of some 130 heads of state and government.