Sharjah24 – AFP: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday cast UN climate talks in Glasgow in November as a last chance for humanity as he made a passionate appeal for the world to slash carbon emissions.
In a characteristically colorful speech before the United Nations as he seeks success in Glasgow, Johnson urged humanity not to treat the planet as an "indestructible toy" and warned of irreversible damage from climate change.
"We will have made this beautiful planet effectively uninhabitable -- not just for us but for many other species," he told the General Assembly.
"And that is why the Glasgow COP26 summit is the turning point for humanity," he said, using the official name for the meeting of the UN climate body's Conference of Parties.
Johnson backed a goal of the developed world phasing out coal, one of the dirtiest forms of energy, by 2030 and the developing world doing so a decade later.
Pointing to Britain's own track record at reducing emissions while preserving growth, the Conservative leader rejected conspiracy theories often voiced on the political right about the intentions behind climate plans.
"I am not one of those environmentalists who takes a moral pleasure in excoriating humanity for its excess," Johnson said.
"I don't see the green movement as a pretext for a wholesale assault on capitalism."
For an optimal experience, please
