World needs to expedite carbon neutrality, says UN

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the world still lags behind achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050, though more Governments and businesses are committed to it.

The UN chief made the remarks on Monday at the opening ceremony of the global campaign Race to Zero Dialogues, which urges businesses, regions, and investors to support net-zero carbon emissions.

The European Union, Japan, and South Korea, along with more than 110 other countries have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, while China is set to achieve it by 2060.

While the number of net-zero commitments from companies has more than doubled in the past year to over 1,100, the target still seems far from where it needs to be, Guterres added.

"Our goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Today, we are still headed towards three degrees at least," he said.

The UN envoy warned that all governments need to ensure transition plans for net- zero emissions.