COP29 Climate Summit: UN Secretary-General’s urgent call to action

At the opening of the COP29 Climate Action Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful message on the urgency of climate action, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

As he addressed the challenges and risks the world faces with rising temperatures, Guterres highlighted the record-breaking heat of 2024 as a warning sign and listed recent disasters: hurricanes, loss of biodiversity in warming seas, extreme heat waves causing illness and death, and floods devastating communities.

“These disasters are supercharged by human-made climate change,” he emphasized, pointing out that no country is immune. He noted that economic impacts of climate change—from inflated food prices to higher insurance premiums—are being felt globally.

A major concern Guterres raised was the “avoidable injustice” of climate change, where wealthier countries, which have contributed the most emissions, are less affected than poorer countries, which are suffering the worst impacts. He cited an Oxfam report showing that the richest billionaires emit more carbon in 90 minutes than an average person does in a lifetime.

Guterres reminded world leaders of commitments made at the previous COP28 summit: to transition from fossil fuels, enhance climate adaptation, and align national climate plans with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. With 80% of people worldwide supporting more climate action, he stressed that “doubling down on fossil fuels is absurd” and emphasized that solar and wind energy are now among the cheapest power sources available.

The Secretary-General outlined three key priorities for action. First, he called for immediate reductions in emissions, pointing to the need for a 43% decrease from 2019 levels by 2030 to stay on track for the 1.5°C target. He urged leaders to finalize new climate action plans and focus on effective carbon markets that do not allow greenwashing.

Second, Guterres highlighted the need for adaptation, as the world’s most vulnerable communities struggle to cope with climate extremes. He urged developed nations to double their adaptation finance to at least $40 billion by 2025 and called for a robust commitment to the Loss and Damage Fund to support affected nations.

Finally, he called for accessible climate finance to support developing countries. He outlined five actions, including increasing public finance, mobilizing private investments, creating transparent financial frameworks, and boosting multilateral banks’ capacities.

Guterres concluded by stressing that climate finance is not charity but a necessary investment for all. As the clock ticks, he urged leaders to make ambitious and equitable decisions at COP29, emphasizing that “climate action is not optional, it’s imperative.”