UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern about the growing increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which have risen by 1.3% in the last year, the highest recorded figure to date. Guterres warned that the planet is in a critical situation and that urgent action is needed.
The World Emissions Report 2024 indicates that this increase goes against the goal of reducing emissions by 9% annually by 2030 to prevent global temperature rise from exceeding 1.5 degrees. According to Guterres, if we continue at this pace, the temperature increase could reach 3.1 degrees by the end of the century, with devastating consequences for the most vulnerable populations.
The UN Secretary-General highlighted the negative impacts already being observed due to climate change, such as flooding, extreme heat, and increasingly intense weather phenomena. In this regard, he emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need to take concrete measures to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
António Guterres reminded about the upcoming climate conference, COP29, which will be held in Baku (Azerbaijan), as an opportunity for each country to present its concrete climate plans to be implemented starting in 2025. He stressed that it is the industrialized G20 countries, responsible for 80% of emissions, that must lead this process, both by committing to their own energy transitions and by financing the plans of the most vulnerable countries.
In his statements, Guterres underscored the need to act quickly and responsibly, warning that the time to address climate change is running out. He concluded with a clear warning: 'We are playing with fire, but we cannot play with time.'