UN chief: Window to avert devasting climate impacts ‘rapidly closing’

With eight months remaining, the window of opportunity is closing for South Sudan to meet critical benchmarks required to complete its transition away from long-running civil conflict, the Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Monday, pressing parties to the November 2018 peace deal, to implement their commitments in letter and spirit.

Environmental degradation enables armed groups to extend their influence and manipulate resources to their advantage, the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday, highlighting that conflict-prevention initiatives need to factor in climate risks.

Asia and the Pacific has a “narrow window” to protect its hard-won gains, as climate change supercharges disasters and impacts billions there, the UN’s development body spanning the vast region said on Tuesday.