U.N. Secretary General urges nations to do more to combat climate change

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The United Nations Secretary-General urged nations on Thursday to do more to work together and tackle the climate crisis y as the organization's climate change conference wraps up.

Speaking at COP27, Antonio Guterres reminded leaders that global emissions are at their highest levels in history and that cooperation was needed before it is too late.

"There is clearly a breakdown in trust between North and South, and between developed and emerging economies," Guterres said. "This is no time for finger-pointing. The blame game is a recipe for mutually assured destruction."

Guterres also rebuked climate deniers, saying that world leaders needed to communicate the urgency of the problem and support the people currently being affected the most.

"Reflect the urgency, scale and enormity of the challenge faced by developing countries," Guterres said. "We cannot continue to deny climate justice to those who have contributed least to the climate crisis and are getting hurt the most."

COP27 published a draft of the final decision Thursday. However NGO experts said that the document must be more specific.

The current text addresses the 1.5-degree C target and refers to science, reiterates the Glasgow Climate Pact call to phase down coal, but does not mention oil and gas.

Many climate activist groups were also present at the event to protest and urge governments to do more.

Polish activist Dominika Lasota told UN News that she is at COP27 to promote the end of fossil fuels, which she believes are driving the war in Ukraine.

"We desperately need to redirect the money from the death, from fossil fuels and from investments that destroy our lives, and into solutions and into things that protect the light of indigenous peoples, such as loss and damage finance," Lasota said.