UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for an accelerated agenda to drive a just transition for the global energy system to meet net zero goals and deadlines.
The UN leader said the fossil fuel industry was the vital player in the push to meet the Paris Agreement target of capping global warming at 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. Speaking ahead of the Cop28 meeting that starts in the UAE in November, he stressed the importance of how the transition is achieved.
“We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open”, he said. “It’s time to wake up and step up. The world must phase out fossil fuels in a just and equitable way.
"At Cop we have to make sure that those companies that are more linked to the oil and gas sectors recognise how important it is to be leaders in the creation of the economy of the future.
"We must invest in new technologies – on all fronts," he said. "But what is not fair is not to do the right things today based on the thinking that maybe one day there will be a technology that saves us."
In particular the UN chief raised the issue of insurers forced to quit the post-Glasgow international financial alliance by the threat of anti-trust action by US states. The UN leader called for detailed plans from financial institutions, saying they must encourage the global energy transformation.
Plans should include an explicit strategies for promoting the transition.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Cop28 President-designate, told UN-led climate talks in Bonn this month that scaling up renewable energy would assist in the phasing out of fossil fuel.
Dr Al Jaber said there must be transformational shifts, but that these must come in tandem with energy security. He called for “a transition that promotes policies and investments that scale up renewable energy, while working towards an energy system that is free of unabated fossil fuels”.
“The phase-down of fossil fuels is inevitable. The speed at which this happens depends on how quickly we can phase up zero carbon alternatives, while ensuring energy security, accessibility and affordability."
Mr Guterres echoed some of those points when he said this week the transition must not only meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C but represent a just and inclusive package, bringing all countries and regions along. He said there must be a commitment to "massively boosting renewable investment in a just transition".
The oil and gas industry was encouraged by Mr Guterres to present credible, comprehensive and detailed new transition plans that include reducing emissions “up and down the value chain” – from production through to refining, distribution and use.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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