At the COP29 climate summit in Baku, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a compelling address, urging global leaders to take significant steps regarding climate finance and reducing emissions.
As nearly 200 nations gathered to mobilise substantial resources to combat climate change, Guterres cautioned about the dire humanitarian and economic consequences if global authorities do not act.
“The sound you hear is the ticking clock,” Guterres told attendees. “We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and time is not on our side.”
The UN chief highlighted the alarming prospect that 2024 is poised to set new records as the hottest year, with severe weather patterns already increasing worldwide, from wildfires in the US to devastating floods in Spain.
Experts suggest that global temperatures may have already hit 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, increasing climate risk significantly.
Also read: Keir Starmer to Announce New UK Climate Pledge at COP29
Addressing Climate Justice and the Economic Toll
Guterres emphasized the injustice of climate change, noting that while wealthy countries and industries are the most significant contributors to carbon emissions, the poorest communities bear the highest costs. “The rich cause the problem, and the poor pay the highest price,” he said, adding that billionaires emit more carbon in an hour and a half than the average person emits in a lifetime.
Also read: New Climate Finance Goal Essential for Every Nation’s Self-Interest: UN Climate Chief at COP29
Rallying Support for Climate Finance
Acknowledging developing nations’ financial hurdles, Guterres appealed to wealthier nations to boost public and private financing for climate initiatives. He emphasised the necessity of reforming multilateral development banks to boost lending and attract private finance for the climate crisis.
“The world must pay up, or humanity will pay the price,” Guterres concluded, reinforcing that climate finance is not charity but a necessary investment.