UN chief calls for urgent climate action, fair deal at COP30 in Brazil

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on countries to urgently reach a fair and balanced agreement to tackle the severity of the climate crisis.

He made the appeal at a press conference during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) being held in Brazil's Amazon city of Belem. The conference runs on Nov. 10-21, with climate negotiations currently in the final stage.

Guterres noted that vulnerable communities can no longer wait for climate change mitigation, urging delegations to reach a consensus.

The progress made in the decade since the 2015 Paris Agreement is not enough, according to Guterres. "We must move much faster -- with a drastic cut on emissions."

It is essential that most countries reach peak emissions now, halve them this decade, achieve net-zero by 2050, and go net-negative thereafter, he said, while calling for "a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels -- as agreed at COP28 in Dubai."

The UN chief emphasized the urgency of protecting ecosystems and the importance of financing to achieve the goals.

It is imperative to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, so that nature remains a shield and not a casualty, he said.

Developed countries must lead in securing at least 300 billion U.S. dollars annually through 2035 to climate action, with a clear route to reaching 1.3 trillion dollars per year by that time, said Guterres.

"We know that budgets are limited -- but the financial system can unlock and multiply the available resources to achieve a much greater impact. Multilateral Development Banks must play a decisive role," he said.

The UN chief also urged political will to take the necessary decisions. "What has been failing is the political will," he said.