In a powerful appeal to the world’s largest economies during the G20 Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for urgent climate action and reform of international institutions, warning that current systems are failing to meet global challenges.
Speaking at the G20 Summit – a forum that brings together 19 countries and the European Union, accounting for 85 percent of the world economy – Mr. Guterres delivered a stark assessment.
“Our climate is at a breaking point,” he told the gathering of industrial powers. “Unless we limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, spiraling disasters will devastate every economy,” he told world leaders at the Brazil hosted summit.
In relation to COP29 which continues in Baku, Mr. Guterres stressed that “failure is not an option” warning of irreversible tipping points.
The success of the UN Climate Conference is largely in the hands of G20 members: “The G20 is responsible for 80 percent of global emissions. So, we need you out front,” he said, calling for emission cuts of nine percent annually this decade.
The Secretary General welcomed recent climate commitments from Brazil and the United Kingdom, while announcing a new Global initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, partnering with Brazil and UNESCO to combat climate disinformation.
“The preservation of the Amazon is a case in point,” Mr. Guterres noted, linking Brazil’s hosting of COP30 in a year’s time to the urgent need for climate finance agreements at COP29. “We must succeed in Baku, build trust and incentivize the preparation of high ambition national climate plans next year”.