'We must put out the fire first': Ban Ki-moon warns human rights rows must not derail climate action

Michael Holder
clock • 6 min read
Ban Ki-moon served as UN Secretary General from 2007-2016
Image:

Ban Ki-moon served as UN Secretary General from 2007-2016

Climate crisis should take diplomatic priority even where there may be fraught geopolitical tensions over challenging issues such as human rights, former UN Secretary-General suggests

World leaders should not allow wider geopolitical tensions over alleged human rights violations to derail efforts to combat the climate crisis, according to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Climate change

COP17: Why the world still can't agree on how to tackle drought

COP17: Why the world still can't agree on how to tackle drought

Often overshadowed by larger and busier UN climate summits, this year's COP17 desertification summit felt more important than ever - yet countries still failed to agree on what needs to be done, according to University of Leeds academic Susan Ann Samuel...

Susan Ann Samuel, University of Leeds
clock 04 September 2026 • 4 min read
From the Highlands to the Himalayas: This summer's climate extremes are a warning businesses cannot ignore

From the Highlands to the Himalayas: This summer's climate extremes are a warning businesses cannot ignore

Tackling climate change is not a story about sacrifice - it is a story about progress, and about finally turning off the oil tap, writes Polestar's Fredrika Klarén

Fredrika Klarén, Polestar
clock 04 September 2026 • 5 min read
'Without action, these could be the good years': A quarter of UK food imports come from regions most exposed to El Niño impacts

'Without action, these could be the good years': A quarter of UK food imports come from regions most exposed to El Niño impacts

Imports of commodities such as rice, coffee, and cocoa mean up to £17bn is at risk from 'Super El Niño' climate impacts

Stuart Stone
clock 03 September 2026 • 6 min read