UN deputy chief urges youth to “hold leaders accountable” over planet conservation
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has urged the youth “to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable,” in the quest to protect the planet.
“Do not take this planet for granted – it is the only one we have,” Amina said while addressing students in China’s Tsinghua University.
The UN deputy chief noted that the last three years have been the warmest on record, a pointer towards climate change.
“I am counting on young people like yourselves to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable to ensure a secure future for yourselves and future generations,” she told the students.
Amina said failure to address the warning of climate change signs leaves the future vulnerable to competition over scarce resources, injuring economies, and creating “a fertile ground” for chaos.
She urged all countries to raise their ambitions and implement their own national contributions, highlighting that China has done its part in deploying more solar and wind capacity than any other country in the world in the last five years.
“We have all the tools we need to create a new reality and you are in a position to lead us with new innovations,” she said.
“Let us join hands and use this as an opportunity to strive for a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for all.”
