At COP29, UN Chief António Guterres urged swift action on emissions cuts, climate protections, and accessible finance, warning leaders that humanity faces severe costs if support falls short.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders at the COP29 Climate Action Summit in Baku to act swiftly to reduce emissions, protect people from escalating climate disasters, and remove barriers to climate financing, responding to the "climate destruction" seen in 2024.
“The sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side,” he said.
Mr. Guterres stressed that “developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed” and urged COP29 leaders to act swiftly: cutting emissions by nine percent annually to reach 43 percent of 2019 levels by 2030, protecting communities from climate impacts as the adaptation finance gap could hit $359 billion annually by 2030, and removing barriers to climate finance with a new, more accessible funding framework that increases concessional public finance, mobilizes trillions for developing nations, and strengthens accountability in development lending.
“On climate finance, the world must pay up, or humanity will pay the price,” he emphasized.
Azerbaijan is calling for closer regional cooperation with Central Asian neighbors to confront the escalating climate crisis in the Caspian Sea, said Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s presidential climate envoy and COP29 President, in an interview with The Times of Central Asia.
Azerbaijan is advancing its global climate leadership with an ambitious new initiative to expand climate financing to $1.3 trillion, in collaboration with Brazil, following the landmark COP29 summit held in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s leadership as COP29 President was praised during high-level meetings in Mexico, where the two countries discussed climate diplomacy and the expansion of bilateral ties.
A delegation led by Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chief Negotiator of COP29, participated in Climate Week in Panama, held from May 19–21, 2025, in Panama City.
With a global outlook and local context, Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) will convene key stakeholders—from policy and finance to science, culture, and civil society—to help lay the foundations for a successful COP30. This will be the second time Azerbaijan has hosted BCAW.
Iran launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, injuring at least 25 people and triggering nationwide alerts and defence responses.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered immigration officials to expand deportation operations in major cities, prompting nationwide protests and clashes.
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to support Greenland, saying the Arctic island is not for sale and warning of growing "predatory ambition" toward the region.
Pakistan will begin its first freight train service to Russia from Lahore on June 22. The route is part of the INSTC and aims to connect Pakistan's rail network with Central Asia, establishing a new trade corridor via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation advisory for Iranian civilians living near weapons production sites and associated infrastructure within Iran. The message was shared on the social media platform X in both Arabic and Farsi by an official military spokesperson.
Israel’s strike on a Tehran housing complex killed around 60 people, including 20 children, according to Iranian state media. Though aimed at Iran’s nuclear programme, the scale and messaging suggest a deeper goal: regime change.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, has announced a record £2.5 billion in additional funding this week to advance the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.
A historic May heat wave pushed Greenland’s ice melt to 17 times its average rate and sent Iceland’s temperatures soaring to record-breaking highs, raising urgent alarms about Arctic climate vulnerability.
Climate change could slash over 5% from Italy’s GDP by 2050 if no action is taken, according to the national budget watchdog, highlighting the urgent need for global emissions cuts.
At least seven people have died and several schoolchildren are missing after heavy rain and snow triggered flooding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and southern regions, officials said Tuesday.
A new study warns that the emperor penguin population in Antarctica is shrinking faster than expected, with numbers falling by 22% over 15 years due to climate change and unstable sea ice.
Iran launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, injuring at least 25 people and triggering nationwide alerts and defence responses.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered immigration officials to expand deportation operations in major cities, prompting nationwide protests and clashes.
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to support Greenland, saying the Arctic island is not for sale and warning of growing "predatory ambition" toward the region.
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