Advertisement
Climate change
WorldEurope

Boris Johnson says world must ‘grow up’ on climate change and stop trashing planet

  • The British PM told the UN General Assembly that it is now or never if the world is to meet its goal of limiting temperature rise
  • He will host a major climate summit in Glasgow in October. He also cited Kermit the Frog, saying it’s ‘easy’ to be green

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the 76th session UN General Assembly, warning of desertification, droughts, crop failures and mass movements of humanity if action is not taken to reduce rising temperatures. Photo: AFP
Associated Press
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday night that humanity has to “grow up” and tackle climate change, saying humans must stop trashing the planet like a teenager on a bender.
Advertisement

Johnson is due to host a major United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland in six weeks’ time. He is using a trip to the UN General Assembly in New York to press governments for tougher emissions-cutting targets and more money to help poor countries clean up their economies.

In a speech to the General Assembly, he said it is now or never if the world is to meet its goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

“If we keep on the current track then the temperatures will go up by 2.7 degrees or more by the end of the century. And never mind what that will do to the ice floes,” Johnson said.

“We will see desertification, drought, crop failure, and mass movements of humanity on a scale not seen before. Not because of some unforeseen natural event or disaster, but because of us, because of what we are doing now.

Advertisement

“We have an awesome power to change things and to change things for the better, and an awesome power to save ourselves,” he said.

Advertisement