United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres/File photo
ANTALYA: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stressed the urgent need for comprehensive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, saying that although it is now impossible to prevent global warming from temporarily exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius, immediate action is essential to limit the extent and duration of the overshoot.
Addressing the closing press conference of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Guterres called for annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of around 6 percent over the coming years.
He warned that even if countries fully implement their existing climate commitments under their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), global temperatures could rise by more than 2.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
“Our responsibility is to keep the temperature increase above 1.5 degrees as low as possible, limit it to a short period of time and bring the temperature back below 1.5 degrees as quickly as possible,” Guterres said.
He stressed that the need for climate justice had become even more urgent, warning that even a temporary overshoot of the 1.5-degree threshold would intensify the devastating climate impacts already being experienced worldwide.
Highlighting the financial challenges facing developing and highly vulnerable countries, Guterres called for increased support to help them adapt to climate change and address loss and damage. He urged developed countries to honour the financial commitments made at previous COP conferences.
“Even if the financial support provided for adaptation is tripled, less than 30 percent of the required amount will be met,” he said. Guterres identified fossil fuels as the primary driver of the climate crisis and called for an accelerated, just, orderly and equitable transition away from them.
He said reducing dependence on fossil fuels was more important than merely changing suppliers, as continued reliance on them leaves countries vulnerable to price fluctuations, geopolitical tensions and instability.
Achieving this transition, he said, would require substantial investment in clean energy, electricity transmission networks, energy storage, energy efficiency and clean electrification.
The UN chief also emphasised that climate change should not be treated solely as an environmental issue but should be addressed in the broader context of peace, development, human rights and social justice.
He warned that climate-related disasters were contributing to global instability by aggravating hunger, displacement, poverty, debt burdens and competition over natural resources.
“Peace cannot be established on a burning planet. Poverty cannot be eradicated while climate disasters repeatedly push people into poverty,” he said.
Guterres pointed out that countries and communities that have contributed the least to the climate crisis are bearing its heaviest consequences. He stressed that international cooperation and adequate financial support are essential to achieving climate justice.
Calling for greater ambition in the COP process, he said international negotiations must bridge the gap between what scientific evidence demands and what governments are politically willing to commit to. He also called for action to address the disproportionate influence of groups advocating for fossil fuels.
Among the important initiatives he highlighted were the roadmap proposed by the COP30 presidency for transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation, clean electrification, a global zero-waste commitment, the expansion of electricity transmission networks and the implementation of early warning systems for all.
He noted that advances in renewable energy technologies and changing economic conditions had created greater opportunities for a clean, secure and reliable energy future. However, he said achieving this would require political will, courage and swift implementation.
Participating in what was described as the final COP conference of his nearly decade-long tenure as UN Secretary-General, Guterres reiterated that no single country could address climate change independently.
He also highlighted strengthened UN efforts to promote implementation-focused international cooperation in areas such as early warning systems, electricity transmission networks, methane emissions and critical minerals.
“We share one planet and whether we like it or not, we share a common destiny,” he said.
Delivering his final message to the international community before departing Antalya, Guterres urged world leaders to remain committed to climate action. “Let us face the facts, follow the science, choose the future, and never give up,” he said. COP31 is being held in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20.
Publish Date : 14 November 2026 05:25 AM
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