UN Secretary-General Calls for Roadmaps to End the Fossil Fuel Era

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the international community today, Wednesday, to establish credible roadmaps and clear timelines for transitioning away from fossil fuels and accelerating the adoption of clean energy sources.

Speaking at a climate summit held during the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said the world is “the first generation with the tools needed to end the fossil fuel era and the last generation capable of avoiding a climate disaster.”

He emphasized that the world demands climate justice in areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as adequate financing, stressing the need to respond with concrete actions.

Guterres criticized the continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions at a time when they should have seen a sharp decline, noting the ongoing expansion of fossil fuel use despite what he described as its contradiction with science and economic logic.

He pointed out that renewable energy sources have become the cheapest, fastest, and safest new electricity generation options in most parts of the world, affirming that the transition to clean energy has become an “unstoppable path.”

He stressed the necessity of meeting growing electricity demand, including that driven by artificial intelligence technologies, by expanding renewable energy sources, electricity grids, and energy storage systems.

The Secretary-General urged the G20, which accounts for about 80 percent of global emissions, to lead the transition efforts, emphasizing that this transition must be just, contribute to job creation, strengthen social protection, and allow developing countries to participate in shaping its course and benefiting from its fruits.

Regarding financing, Guterres called for mobilizing at least $300 billion annually for developing countries, led by developed nations, and working to raise total climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

He also called for polluters to bear the costs, for debt relief in the event of disasters, and for developing countries to have a stronger voice in the international financial system, stressing the need to “match the energy revolution with a financing revolution.”

In conclusion, the Secretary-General stressed that addressing climate change requires protecting science and truth, adhering to international law, and enhancing cooperation among countries, noting that “no single country can decarbonize the global economy or protect itself from the impacts of climate change alone.”