Physical Address
23,24,25 & 26, 2nd Floor, Software Technology Park India, Opp: Garware Stadium,MIDC, Chikalthana, Aurangabad, Maharashtra – 431001 India
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on governments to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, phase out unabated coal use by 2040 and cut oil and gas consumption by around a third, warning that the world is falling far behind its climate commitments. Addressing world leaders at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye, he said global greenhouse gas emissions must decline by approximately 6% every year to limit the severity of global warming. Guterres also urged developed countries to increase climate finance for developing economies, arguing that the transition to cleaner energy and protection against climate impacts cannot happen without adequate financial support.
UN chief warns current climate plans fall short of 1.5°C target
Guterres warned that existing national climate plans are insufficient to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature goal within reach. According to his address, current national commitments, even if fully implemented, would deliver only around one-third of the annual emissions reductions required. He also pointed to record greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 and continued temperature records as evidence that climate action is not progressing quickly enough.
He called for a faster and more equitable transition away from fossil fuels, urging governments to phase out unabated coal power by 2040 and reduce oil and gas use by approximately a third. He also called for an end to new coal projects and new oil and gas infrastructure that would make the 1.5°C goal harder to achieve. The UN chief said governments must develop credible national roadmaps that align energy policies, investments and infrastructure plans with climate targets. These plans, he added, must protect workers and communities whose livelihoods depend on fossil fuel industries.
Developing countries need greater climate finance and adaptation support
A central part of Guterres’s address focused on the gap between climate finance commitments and the money developing countries need to respond to climate change. He called on developed countries to deliver at least $300 billion annually by 2035, a target agreed at COP29 in Baku. He also urged governments to establish clear plans to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035, helping vulnerable countries prepare for rising temperatures, floods, droughts and other climate impacts.
The financing gap remains substantial. UNEP’s 2026 Adaptation Gap Report estimates that developing countries will need approximately $305 billion annually by 2035 to meet their adaptation requirements. Even if international public adaptation finance triples under the COP30 commitment, it would cover only about 20–29% of these needs. Guterres also called for the broader $1.3 trillion annual climate finance goal to translate into actual funding for developing countries, rather than remaining a political commitment. He urged multilateral development banks to expand lending, mobilise private investment and make finance more affordable for vulnerable economies.
Guterres calls for climate justice and accountability from fossil fuel companies
Guterres argued that the responsibility for climate action must reflect differences in countries’ historical emissions, financial capacity and development needs. He said developed countries should move faster in reducing emissions while providing finance and technology to developing economies. Emerging economies, meanwhile, must accelerate their shift towards renewable energy, with developing countries receiving greater support to adapt to climate impacts. He described this approach as a proposed global Climate Justice Compact based on shared responsibility and cooperation.
The UN chief also called on fossil fuel companies to help pay for climate damage, arguing that those who have profited from the industry should help finance recovery in vulnerable countries. He pointed to the profits of nine major oil companies, which he said reached $95 billion in the previous quarter, compared with approximately $600 million received by the Loss and Damage Fund. Guterres urged governments to consider taxing windfall profits from fossil fuel companies and directing the proceeds towards climate-related recovery. His remarks put climate finance, fossil fuel dependence and accountability at the centre of the COP31 discussions, as governments face growing pressure to turn existing climate commitments into measurable action.
References:
1.5°C breach inevitable, world must cut emissions 6% annually: UN chief at COP31
COP31: UN chief calls for faster phase-out of fossil fuels and increased climate finance
COP31: India Puts Climate Finance and Equity at the Centre of Global Climate Action
Banner image: Antonio Guterres Post on X
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