The world’s top diplomat, António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, has lately been unusually blunt in his broadsides against fossil fuel producers.
Not China, the world’s coal behemoth.
Not Britain or the United States, who both have ambitious climate laws but continue to issue new oil and gas permits.
Not the United Arab Emirates, a petrostate where a state-owned oil company executive is hosting the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations — a move that activists have decried as undermining the very legitimacy of the talks.
“The rules of multilateral diplomacy and multilateral summitry are not fit for the speedy and effective response that we need,” said Richard Gowan, who decodes the rituals of the United Nations for the International Crisis Group.
Persons:
António Guterres, Guterres, ”, Richard Gowan
Organizations:
United Nations, United Arab, International Crisis
Locations:
China, Britain, United States, United Arab Emirates, Nations, Portugal