United Nations alarmist-in-chief António Guterres laid into fossil fuel companies Wednesday, calling for a ban on their ads and increased taxes on energy firms.
“Climate change is the mother of all stealth taxes paid by everyday people and vulnerable countries and communities,” Guterres said in a special address on climate action delivered in New York City. “Meanwhile, the godfathers of climate chaos — the fossil fuel industry — rake in record profits and feast off trillions in taxpayer-funded subsidies.”
The Portuguese socialist amped up his already heated rhetoric, insisting that the world is on a “highway to climate hell” and desperately needs an “exit ramp.”
“We are playing Russian roulette with our planet,” he cautioned.
“Many in the fossil fuel industry have shamelessly greenwashed even as they have sought to delay climate action with lobbying, legal threats, and massive ad campaigns,” he inveighed.
Guterres went on to accuse advertising and PR firms of aiding and abetting fossil fuel companies, comparing them to the unscrupulous publicists portrayed by the Mad Men television series.
“I call on these companies to stop acting as enablers of planetary destruction,” he continued. “Stop taking on new fossil fuel clients from today and set out plans to drop your existing ones.”
“Fossil fuels are not only poisoning our planet, they are toxic for your brands,” he warned.
“Your sector is full of creative minds who are already mobilizing around this cause. They are gravitating toward companies that are fighting for our planet — not trashing it,” he said.
To justify his appeal, Guterres compared fossil fuel companies to the tobacco industry, whose ads have been severely restricted in the interest of public health.
“Many governments restrict or prohibit advertising for products that harm human health – like tobacco,” he said. “I urge every country to do the same with fossil fuel companies by banning their advertising.”
“And I urge news media & tech companies to stop taking fossil fuel advertising,” he said.
The Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations’ total commitment to battling the climate crisis in every way possible.
“We do have a choice: Creating tipping points for climate progress – or careening to tipping points for climate disaster,” Guterres stated.
“This is an all-in moment. The United Nations is all-in – working to build trust, find solutions, and inspire the cooperation our world so desperately needs,” he said.
“It’s ‘We the Peoples’ versus the polluters and the profiteers. Together, we can win,” he declared.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.