Boris Johnson on verge of ‘enormous victory’ following UN climate speech ‘call to arms’

Boris Johnson verge of ‘historic diplomatic victory’ says expert

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The Former Global Engagement Director at the White House, Brett Bruen has told Sky News that Boris Johnson is on the “verge of an enormous diplomatic victory ” following his speech on climate change at the UN General Assembly. Mr Johnson spoke to world leaders gather for the UN summit in New York on Wednesday in a “call to arms” to meet the climate emergency. The Prime Minister told the UN  the Cop26 climate summit to be held in Glasgow next month needed to be a “turning point for humanity.”

Mr Bruen told Sky News: “I think the message was a strong one.

“This is a unique opportunity both for the Prime Minister but also for the United Kingdom to show extraordinary leadership in a post-Brexit era.

“If Prime Minister Johnson’s call to arms and robust response to the climate crisis is heeded it will be an enormous diplomatic victory for the British.

He added: “I think it is something Prime Minister Johnson can take credit for.”

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In his speech, Mr Johnson told world leaders: “It is time for us to listen to the warnings of the scientists – and look at Covid, if you want an example of gloomy scientists being proved right – and to understand who we are and what we are doing.”

“The world – this precious blue sphere with its eggshell crust and wisp of an atmosphere – is not some indestructible toy, some bouncy plastic romper room against which we can hurl ourselves to our heart’s content.”

He added: “We have come to that fateful age when we know roughly how to drive and we know how to unlock the drinks cabinet and to engage in all sorts of activity that is not only potentially embarrassing but also terminal.

“We believe that someone else will clear up the mess we make because that is what someone else has always done.”

 

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“We trash our habitats again and again with the inductive reasoning that we have got away with it so far, and therefore we will get away with it again.

Mr Johnson continued: “My friends, the adolescence of humanity is coming to an end.

“We must come together in a collective coming of age.”

He went on to discuss the origins of the Greek word deinos, saying:  “Sophocles is often quoted as saying that there are many terrifying things in the world, but none is more terrifying than man.

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“But what Sophocles actually said was that man is deinos and that means not just scary but awesome – and he was right.

“We are awesome in our power to change things and awesome in our power to save ourselves, and in the next 40 days we must choose what kind of awesome we are going to be.”

The Prime Minister also stressed said the need for global warming to be kept within 1.5 degrees.

He said: “We are not talking about stopping the rise in temperatures – it is alas too late for that – but to restrain that growth to 1.5 degrees. And that means we need to pledge collectively to achieve carbon neutrality – net zero – by the middle of the century. And that will be an amazing moment if we can do it.”

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