World faces crisis if leaders fail to make green recovery after Covid, says UN

PMs and presidents told they have ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to move society away from fossil fuels, writes Adam Forrest

Belchatow Power Station, Europe's largest coal-fired power plant (Reuters)

Humankind faces crisis after crisis if leaders fail to tackle the climate emergency in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a UN report has warned.

The immense impact of both Covid and climate change mean societies could lose decades of gains in education, health and the eradication of poverty, according to the latest study from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It lays out a stark choice for world leaders: take bold steps to reduce the pressure on the environment during the recovery from the virus – or humanity’s progress is in danger.