“Sea-level rise is not only a threat in itself, it is a threat multiplier,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned this week.
In February 14 remarks to the UN Security Council in its debate about sea level rise, Guterres said:
“Rising seas are sinking futures.”
Guterres cited a new study by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which finds that global average sea levels have risen faster since 1900 than over any preceding century in the last 3,000 years. Additionally, the global ocean has warmed faster over the past century than at any time in the past 11,000 years, he said.
“Meanwhile, the WMO tells us that even if global heating is miraculously limited to 1.5°C, there will still be a sizeable sea-level rise. But every fraction of a degree counts. If temperatures rise by 2 degrees, that level rise could double, with further temperature increases bringing exponential sea level increases.”
Check out Guterres’ full speech here.
