https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200925_07/
The head of the United Nations has urged governments around the world to stop subsidizing fossil fuel industries and instead invest in jobs for the poor.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the comment at an online conference on Thursday. He hosted the meeting to coincide with a series of speeches delivered by national leaders at the UN General Assembly.
Participants included government leaders such as Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Executives from Microsoft and other major companies were also in attendance.
Guterres said he was "encouraged" by recent announcements by the European Union and China on carbon emissions goals.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week proposed a cut of at least 55 percent in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this week pledged to go carbon neutral by 2060.
Guterres expressed hope that all nations would present action plans this year to help achieve the UN targets of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
The UN chief said, "All COVID-19 recovery packages need to accelerate de-carbonization of the global economy." He added, "Any plans that support economically costly and polluting coal and fossil fuel industries cannot be called recovery."