LONDON

The UN’s annual climate change conference, COP26, must be a “turning point for humanity”, the British prime minister said in an address in New York on Wednesday night.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Boris Johnson urged the world leaders to "recognize the scale of the challenge we face" in climate change and global warming.

Highlighting the necessity to keep a global rise in temperatures to 1.5 C, Johnson said “the adolescence of humanity is coming to an end.”

“We are approaching that critical turning point – in less than two months – when we must show that we are capable of learning, and maturing, and finally taking responsibility for the destruction we are inflicting, not just upon our planet but ourselves,” Johnson said.

“It is time for humanity to grow up.”

He said, “it is time for us to listen to the warnings of the scientists” as they were proved right in COVID-19 warnings.

“The world – this precious blue sphere with its eggshell crust and wisp of an atmosphere – is not some indestructible toy, some bouncy plastic romper room against which we can hurl ourselves to our heart’s content,” he said.

'Irreversible damage'

Johnson continued: “Daily, weekly, we are doing such irreversible damage that long before a million years are up, we will have made this beautiful planet effectively uninhabitable – not just for us but for many other species.

“And that is why the Glasgow COP26 summit is the turning point for humanity.

“We must limit the rise in temperatures – whose appalling effects were visible even this summer – to 1.5 degrees.

“We must come together in a collective coming of age.

“We must show we have the maturity and wisdom to act.”

The world leaders are to convene in Glasgow in November to discuss the precautions, including reducing or completely eradicating carbon gas emissions in the foreseeable future across the globe.

“In just 40 days time, we need the world to come to Glasgow to make the commitments necessary,” Johnson urged.

“And we are not talking about stopping the rise in temperatures – it is alas too late for that – but to restrain that growth, as I say, to 1.5 degrees.

“And that means we need to pledge collectively to achieve carbon neutrality – net zero – by the middle of the century,” he added.

The COP26 will also urge more countries to contribute to climate financing, to help reach the $100 billion target.