This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
On November 2, 2019, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning to Asia, urging the region to quit its addiction to coal in the face of climate change.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok, Guterres emphasized that coal remains a major threat to the climate, and that countries in the region need to be on the front line of the fight against climate change.
"There is an addiction to coal that we need to overcome," Guterres said, adding that countries in the region need to introduce carbon pricing and reform their energy policies to tackle the climate crisis.
Coal remains a major source of power across Southeast Asia, where breakneck economic development has spurred soaring energy demands, but at a cost to the environment.
According to Guterres, at least 300 million people worldwide are living in places at risk of inundation by 2050, a much bleaker picture than previous data predicted.
The UN chief also spoke on Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslims, nearly three-quarters of a million of whom were driven into Bangladesh in 2017.
He urged Myanmar's government to address the root causes of displacement and allow the return of the Rohingya in safety and dignity.
