UNITED NATIONS, United States, Sept 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations

chief called Friday for the world to redouble its renewable energy efforts to
avert a climate emergency and address global energy poverty.

   "Today, we face a moment of truth," said UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, who described the mandate as a "double imperative -- to end energy
poverty and to limit climate change.

   "And we have an answer that will fulfil both imperatives," Guterres said.
"Affordable, renewable and sustainable energy for all."

   The comments came as governments and the private sector pledged to spend
more than $400 billion at a high-level summit that called for an acceleration
of efforts to avert catastrophic climate change.

   The spending commitments, many of which have been announced previously,
include projects to expand electricity access in developing countries, boost
clean cooking technologies, and improve energy efficiency as part of a drive
to decarbonize the energy system.

   The UN says some 760 million people around the world currently lack access
to electricity. Guterres said the world should aim to cut that number in half
by 2025.

   Guterres noted there has been some progress, with renewable energy now
comprising 29 percent of global electricity generation.

   "But it's not nearly fast enough," Guterres said. "We are still a long way
from being able to provide affordable and clean energy for all."

   Guterres said the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent
in 2030 from 2010 levels to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

   He called for a quadrupling of solar and wind capacity by that time, part
of a push to triple investments on renewable energy and energy efficiency to
$5 trillion per year.

   And Guterres called on authorities to phase out subsidies on fossil fuel
production and "put a price on carbon."