Guterres warns current policies could lead to devastating 3°C rise, threatening global economies

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world is at a "breaking point" in the fight against climate change, urging leaders to take immediate action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C at he G20 session on sustainable development and energy transition.

Guterres stressed that current policies would lead to a devastating 3°C rise, which would result in catastrophic impacts on global economies. He called for accelerated emissions reductions, urging countries to cut global emissions by 9% annually over the next decade.

"The fossil fuel age is inevitable," he said, highlighting the urgent need for a just transition to renewable energy, now the cheapest source of new electricity worldwide. He emphasized the importance of supporting workers and communities affected by the shift, ensuring that the transition leads to prosperity and job creation.

The UN Secretary-General called on the G20, responsible for 80% of global emissions, to take leadership in setting ambitious climate goals. He pointed to the recent commitments by Brazil and the United Kingdom to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and urged other countries to follow suit, aligning their climate plans with the 1.5°C target.

Guterres also stressed the need for global action on climate disinformation and welcomed the launch of the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, led by the UN, Brazil, and UNESCO. He urged the G20 to agree on an ambitious climate finance goal at COP29 to ensure the success of future climate action plans, particularly for developing countries.

He concluded with a call for collective responsibility: "Failure is not an option," warning that inaction could push the world closer to irreversible climate tipping points, with devastating consequences.