The outgoing head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has urged global leaders to heed scientific evidence on climate change and accelerate the shift to renewable energy sources.
Petteri Taalas ended his tenure as WMO Secretary-General on Friday. He assumed the post in 2016 and was at the helm of the UN agency over the warmest eight-year period in recorded history.
“The expertise and services of WMO and the scientific community have never been more necessary to tackle climate change, which represents humanity’s biggest challenge,” he said.
He issued a request to world leaders, saying “please pay attention to the scientific evidence and listen to the United Nations which is committed to promoting the welfare of citizens worldwide.”
Mr. Taalas hailed the agreement reached at the recent COP28 climate change conference in Dubai as historic because it recognized the need to transition away from fossil fuels, marking a first.
“This is an important step in the right direction but not the final goal,” he said.
“We urgently need to reduce our production and consumption of fossil fuels and speed up the transition to renewable energy. Time is running out.”