UN chief urges global leaders to accelerate climate commitments

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders to urgently step up climate efforts ahead of COP30, stressing that the planet faces deepening threats from worsening environmental disasters.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded accelerated global climate action Wednesday and urged world leaders to deliver ambitious commitments ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil later this year.

"We don’t have a moment to lose," Guterres said at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York after a high-level climate meeting, adding the world must act swiftly to avert climate disaster.

Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva convened 17 heads of state, including leaders from China, the European Union and climate-vulnerable nations.

The meeting included representatives from key regional blocs such as the African Union, ASEAN and the Alliance of Small Island States.

"It was among the most diverse meetings of heads of state focused exclusively on climate in some time," said Guterres. Despite the crises, he noted a shared commitment by leaders to accelerate climate action.

"No region is being spared from the ravages of accelerating climate catastrophes," he said. "The crisis is deepening poverty, displacing communities, and fueling conflict and instability."

Guterres emphasized that renewable energy is "the pathway out of climate hell."

He urged countries to enhance their national climate plans before COP30 in November and called for increased support for developing nations.

"At COP30, leaders must deliver a credible roadmap to mobilize $1.3 trillion a year for developing countries by 2035," he said.

"We cannot, must not, and will not let up on climate action," Guterres added.

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