Daily Times

NEW YORK: The Secretary-General of the United Nations warned that exiting landmark accord would threaten US economy and society, on Tuesday.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said that if the US exits the Paris climate agreement, it is likely to face negative economic, security and societal consequences.

in his first major speech on climate change as Secretary General, Guterres called on the world leaders to firmly stick to the agreement.

His remarks at New York University’s Stern School of Business came as the world waits for Donald Trump to announce whether the country will continue to uphold the Paris deal as agreed upon by his predecessor,

The landmark agreement was signed in December 2015 and has been ratified by 147 countries, including the US.

Answering a student’s question on how the US can address climate change when its president has threatened to back out of the accord, Guterres said, “If someone leaves a void, I guarantee someone will fill it.”

“Today, the economy and social aspects are linked to the environmental aspects, but they are also linked to the security aspects, they are linked to the risks of conflict,” said Guterres.

He continued: “if you leave a void to others to occupy, you might be creating a problem to your own internal security.”

Even though Trump’s threat to exit the climate agreement has caused grave concern for dignitaries around the world, but Guterres statement has emphasised that the accord is not dependent on the US government’s participation.

He has also said that if the US decides to exit the agreement, it is important that cities, states and businesses in the country remain committed to the goals of the climate accord.

The decision that whether the US would remain a part of the Paris climate deal or it would exit the accord is being anticipated this week. The other G7 countries – Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan – reaffirmed their support for the accord last week.

To underline the importance of the agreement and other UN climate goals, Guterres highlighted the threats posed by climate change. He said that due to the problems faced by the communities everywhere, such as overpopulation, water scarcity and food insecurity “the world is a mess.”

He warned that “climate change is a multiplier of many other threats.” It has the tendency to breed other problems such as poverty, displacement and conflict. Furthermore, he said that people hit “first and worst” by climate change are the poor, vulnerable and marginalised.

“It’s absolutely essential that the world implements the Paris Agreement and that we fulfil that duty with increased ambition,” he said.

He defined climate change as an economic necessity and a threat to national and international security, noting that more than 24 million people in 118 countries were displaced by natural disasters in 2016, which is three times as many people as were displaced by conflict.

Guterres, also announced that there would be a UN climate summit in 2019.