Guterres to Host Final UN Climate Summit as Global Warming Concerns Grow
NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to lead his final major climate-focused summit at the UN headquarters in New York as concerns over rising global temperatures and extreme weather continue to grow.
Guterres, whose term as UN secretary-general ends on December 31, has made climate action a major focus of his tenure. On Tuesday, he criticised major fossil fuel companies, saying they had contributed to the continued use of carbon-intensive energy while climate finance for developing countries remained limited.
He cited figures showing that five major Western oil companies had earned nearly $500 billion in profits since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, compared with around $34 billion mobilised to support climate adaptation in developing countries.
The UN chief is scheduled to deliver opening remarks at Wednesday’s “High-level Event on Climate Action and the Just Transition” in New York. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are also expected to address the event.
Turkey and Australia are preparing to co-host the COP31 climate conference in Antalya in November. Under the arrangement, Australia will lead the negotiations while Turkey will host the conference and work to encourage voluntary climate commitments.
Focus on Emissions and Climate Finance
The New York meeting will focus on increasing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expanding climate finance for developing countries and strengthening measures to improve resilience against climate-related risks.
Another key area is electrification, which involves replacing systems powered by fossil fuels, including some heating and transport technologies, with electricity.
Turkey has also promoted a “35×35” target aimed at increasing electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. However, the target does not specify that the electricity must come from renewable sources.
Global renewable energy capacity increased by a record amount last year, although clean energy growth continues to face challenges from rising electricity demand, including demand from artificial intelligence data centres and air conditioning.
Climate Risks and Developing Countries
The situation in climate-vulnerable countries is also expected to remain part of discussions ahead of COP31.
Nepal, which has been affected by severe flooding and other climate-related disasters, has called for greater international financial support. Nepal contributes relatively little to global emissions but faces significant climate risks.
Climate advocates have also pointed to the Loss and Damage Fund, which was established to assist countries particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. Funding for the mechanism remains below the levels many developing countries say are required.
The upcoming climate discussions are expected to focus on stronger emissions reductions, financial support for vulnerable nations and efforts to accelerate the transition toward cleaner energy.
