The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has issued a stark warning to G20 leaders convening in Johannesburg, urging immediate and decisive action on climate change and a commitment to fostering a more equitable and peaceful world. His remarks, delivered ahead of the summit, highlight a growing disconnect between stated commitments and demonstrable progress.
Guterres expressed deep concern that the international community has failed to limit global temperature increases to the critical 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. Acknowledging the now-inescapable reality that this threshold will be breached, he emphasized the urgency of minimizing the extent, duration and risk associated with these exceedances. He underscored the critical need to urgently address the adaptation gap, requiring a significant and sustained increase in financial resources.
The UN chief specifically challenged industrialized nations to honor their existing pledges, advocating for the doubling of adaptation financing to at least $40 billion this year and establishing a credible pathway for substantially increased funding beyond 2025, ensuring accessibility and affordability for vulnerable nations.
A point of particular criticism was the disproportionate allocation of clean energy investments. While global investment in this sector has seen a rise, a negligible fraction has reached the African continent – a region possessing vast untapped solar and wind energy potential. Guterres argued that Africa should be at the core of this clean energy revolution, emphasizing that the continent, historically the least responsible for the climate crisis, must not be left behind. He noted a critical imbalance: “The economic facts speak for themselves. But political will must catch up.
Beyond climate action, Guterres stressed the imperative for greater development cooperation and the construction of a more just and effective global financial system. He criticised the detrimental effects of declining development aid, exacerbated by escalating military expenditures that are diverting crucial resources from vital assistance programs. The G20, representing the world’s largest economies, possess a unique and significant influence and a moral obligation to mitigate global suffering and ensure inclusive economic growth that builds a more secure future for all. His remarks implicitly urged the group to move beyond symbolic gestures and embrace genuinely transformative policies that prioritize global well-being.