Ukraine war putting climate action on back burner while planet is burning: UN chief

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - UN secretary-general said on Monday that the war in Ukraine is putting climate action on the back burner while the planet itself is burning.

Antonio Guterres' warning came as government representatives are meeting in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa to prepare for the UN Climate Conference -- COP27 -- in Egypt.

He said the impacts of climate crisis were immense with a third of Pakistan flooded, Europe’s hottest summer in 500 years and hurricanes hammering Cuba and the US.

"No country and no economy is immune from the climate crisis," Guterres said during a press briefing.

He criticized G20 nations for failing to do enough to tackle climate crisis.

He said current pledges and policies are "shutting the door on our chance" to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, let alone meet the 1.5-degree goal.

"We are in a life-or-death struggle for our own safety today and our survival tomorrow," he said. "There is no time for pointing fingers -- or twiddling thumbs... Every government, every business, every investor, every institution must step up with concrete climate actions for net zero".