UN secretary-general António Guterres attacked oil and gas industry attempts to justify fossil fuel expansion with carbon capture technology as “proposals to become more efficient planet wreckers”, in a speech that appeared to be a thinly-veiled critique of the UAE hosts of COP28.
“Let’s face facts. The problem is not simply fossil fuel emissions. It’s fossil fuels — period,” Guterres said. “We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open, with far too many willing to bet it all on wishful thinking, unproven technologies and silver bullet solutions.”