By Abbas Nazil
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has declared that humanity has failed to keep global heating within the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement, warning that “devastating consequences” are now inevitable unless immediate and drastic emission cuts are made.
Speaking in his only interview before the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Guterres said it is now “inevitable” the world will overshoot the 1.5°C target in the coming years, with potential tipping points in the Amazon rainforest, Arctic, and coral reefs posing grave threats to global ecosystems.
He urged world leaders to “change course now” and act decisively to shorten and reduce the extent of the overshoot, stressing that continued delay would push the planet closer to irreversible damage.
According to Guterres, fewer than a third of nations have submitted updated climate action plans, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs), under the Paris Agreement, far below what is needed.
Current pledges would cut emissions by just 10%, when a 60% reduction is required to remain within the 1.5°C limit.
The UN chief called for a rebalancing of participation at future climate summits to give greater voice to Indigenous communities and civil society groups, noting that corporate lobbyists often dominate the discussions.
Guterres emphasized that Indigenous peoples are “the best guardians of nature” and must be central to decision-making, particularly as initiatives like Brazil’s $125 billion Tropical Forests Forever Facility seek to protect standing forests and channel funds directly to local communities.
He reiterated that the transition from fossil fuels is both urgent and economically sensible, noting that renewable energy growth signals the eventual end of oil and gas dependence.
As his final year as UN chief approaches, Guterres pledged to continue his fight for climate action, biodiversity conservation, and environmental justice, declaring, “I will never give up on my commitment to protect our mother nature.”