The key facts

  • Guterres called a temporary overshoot of the 1.5°C warming threshold inevitable
  • To limit the scale of the overshoot, emissions must fall by about 6% annually
  • Current country commitments lead to ~2.5°C of warming by the end of the century, the UN Secretary-General said

Address at COP31 in Antalya

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday called for immediate and drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, warning that a temporary overshoot of the 1.5°C global warming threshold has become inevitable. He spoke at a press conference on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, Anadolu reports.

What exactly the Secretary-General said

According to Guterres, global emissions must fall by roughly 6% annually in the coming years to limit the scale and duration of the overshoot. 'Breaching 1.5 degrees is now inevitable,' he said, stressing the need to make it 'as small and as short as possible' and to bring temperatures back below that threshold as quickly as possible. He also warned that current national climate commitments lead to warming of about 2.5°C by the end of the century, calling such a trajectory 'a recipe for catastrophe.'

Calls on countries

Guterres advocated a faster, fairer and more equitable transition away from fossil fuels, emphasizing that the expansion of renewable energy must be accompanied by a reduction in fossil fuel production and consumption. 'Fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis. There is no reliable path to a safe climate without phasing them out,' the outlet quotes him as saying. He urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments and accelerate emissions cuts, and developing economies, including China, to speed up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Separately, he stressed the need for greater support for developing countries, especially the most vulnerable, in adapting to climate change and addressing loss and damage issues.