The United Nations has called on all countries to commit to zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Global body said the commitment becomes necessary if the world is to avoid a disastrous 2.4-degree Celsius temperature rise by the end of this century.

UN Secretary General António Guterres Thursday offered a message of hope, insisting that it was still possible to avert the worst impacts of emissions-fuelled environmental shocks.

The UN Chief was speaking at a high-level climate gathering in Petersburg, Germany – six months before world leaders convene in Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 Climate Summit.

Guterres also called on shareholders of multilateral development banks and development finance institutions” to push for funding solutions for “low-carbon and climate-resilient development that is aligned with the 1.5 degree Paris Agreement goal.