World · Europe · 8 hrs ago
Guterres urges leaders to act as UN climate talks begin in Turkey
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is making a final climate appeal as his term ends this year.
He is urging world leaders to act at COP31, the UN climate talks in Turkey, scheduled for Nov.
9-20.
The talks focus on climate change caused by greenhouse gases released by burning fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
The Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, but Guterres says that goal is no longer achievable.
The UN is now trying to limit how far warming goes beyond that threshold, while heat waves, storms, floods and droughts are worsening.
Guterres blames failed political leadership and says countries must do more now, though cheaper wind and solar power give him hope.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging world leaders to take stronger action on climate change as UN climate talks begin in Turkey.
The COP31 talks are scheduled for Nov. 9-20.
Guterres says leaders can no longer delay or shift responsibility to others.
He said scientists told him last year that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was no longer achievable.
Guterres called that a failure of political leadership and said investment in wind and solar power gives him hope.
- Who
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and world leaders.
- What
- Guterres is urging leaders to do more to address climate change as UN climate talks begin.
- When
- The talks are scheduled for Nov. 9-20, 2026.
- Where
- Turkey.
- Why
- Greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to rising temperatures and extreme weather, and Guterres says action can no longer be delayed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Guterres said scientists told him that the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was no longer achievable.
The UN climate conference, known as COP31, is scheduled to take place in Turkey.
- Conference
- COP31
- Location
- Turkey
- Scheduled dates
- Nov. 9-20
- Warming limit
- 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times
- UN chief
- Antonio Guterres
What people are saying
This is a moment of truth.
We can no longer wait, we can no longer have endless discussions in which everybody tries to push the responsibility to someone else. Everybody must do more, everybody must do more now
But it's not the world that's failed, it's the political leadership that's failed