UN 
(SDGTALKING) – Dilek Kaya – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres gave important messages to world leaders in the face of the global climate crisis in his speech at the opening of the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Thanking President Ilham Aliyev, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev and the government of Azerbaijan, Guterres said that the climate crisis is at a critical threshold and emphasized that time is running out: “The sound you hear is the ticking of the clock; we are in the final countdown to meet the 1.5 degree target.”
2024: The Year of Record Temperatures and Climate Disasters
Guterres stated that 2024 will go down in history as a year of the hottest days, months and years on record. “Families are fleeing for their lives before the next hurricane hits, biodiversity is disappearing, workers and pilgrims are collapsing in the heat, floods and droughts are destroying communities and agriculture,” he said, referring to the deepening impacts of the climate crisis around the world.
Climate Injustice: “The Rich Cause it, the Poor Pay the Price”
Guterres pointed out that poor countries bear the heaviest burden of the climate crisis. “According to Oxfam data, the richest billionaires produce as much carbon emissions in an hour and a half as the average person emits in a lifetime,” he said, noting that the carbon emissions of the richest are dragging the world into ever greater danger. The Secretary-General emphasized the urgent need to reduce emissions and increase adaptation measures to avert the climate crisis.
Goals and Promising Steps Set at COP28
Reminding leaders of the climate goals adopted at COP28 last year, Guterres called for a shift away from fossil fuels, strengthening renewable energy systems and aligning national climate plans towards the 1.5 degree target. “Humanity has your back,” he said, recalling that a survey by Oxford University and the United Nations Development Program found that 80% of people worldwide expect stronger climate action.
Guterres’ Call for Three Critical Priorities: Emission Reduction, Protection and Finance
Guterres presented three key priorities for world leaders to take urgent action against the climate crisis:
- Urgent Emissions Reduction: Guterres stated that emissions must be reduced by 9% each year to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By 2030, emissions should be reduced by 43% compared to 2019 levels, Guterres said, emphasizing that carbon markets should be run under fair and effective rules.
- Protection Against Climate Disasters: Stating that the disasters caused by climate change affect poor communities the most, Guterres stated that these communities should be protected. Stating that climate change challenges the economic and social structure, Secretary-General emphasized the importance of increasing adaptation financing to at least 40 billion dollars a year by 2025.
- Ensuring Financing: Guterres pointed out that developing countries face serious challenges in accessing climate finance. “Climate finance is an investment, not a charity. Climate action is not optional, it is mandatory,” he said, adding that developed countries must do their part in this regard.
“The Clock is Ticking to Meet the 1.5 Degree Celsius Target”
Emphasizing that COP29 should create the necessary financial infrastructure for developing countries to adapt to the climate crisis, Guterres said, “The world must pay the price for climate finance, or humanity will pay the price.”
Concluding his speech with the words “The clock is ticking,” Guterres reiterated the need for urgent and decisive action against the climate crisis. He reminded world leaders that global climate action is an imperative and wished COP29 to be a milestone for this transformation.
