speech on global warming 2 minutes

Global Warming Speech for Students and Children

3 minutes speech on global warming.

Global Warming is definitely the single greatest environmental challenge that the planet earth is facing at present. It is essential to understand the gravity of the situation. The fuel which you use in order to power your homes, cars, businesses and more is heating up the planet faster than expected. We are recording the hottest days and decades ever. What’s alarming is that the temperature of the earth has climbed to the highest point it has ever been in the past 12,000 years. It only gets worse from here if we don’t stop it now.

Impact of Global Warming

As the planet is getting hotter, we need to collectively act right now instead of waiting for more. The primary cause of global warming is fossil fuels. Human beings are addicted to burning them which produces coal, oil, greenhouse gases and more.

The power plants, cards, and industries produce Carbon dioxide which stays in the atmosphere for 5 decades or more. This is the reason why the temperature of the earth rises.

Due to this rise in temperature, the oceans are rising and the coral reefs are dying. Many aquatic species are going extinct while the glaciers are melting. You will be surprised to know that Greenland is losing 20% more mass than it receives from new snowfall.

Thus, it will keep shrinking as the earth warms. Moreover, extreme weather patterns are for everyone to see. The heatwaves, droughts, floods, are now taking place with greater intensity and frequency.

The hurricanes are doubling up in nature in terms of occurrence and the Katrina Hurricane is enough to prove this point. Further, the Greenland and Western Antarctic ice sheets are at great risk of melting completely. Please note that these two ice sheets presently hold around 20% of the Earth’s freshwater. The rise in sea levels will damage the coastal areas globally. Moreover, the regularity of hurricanes, tornadoes, and others may become more volatile spreading malaria and other deadly diseases.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Ways to Tackle Global Warming

The time is now to do something to prevent global warming, otherwise, it will be irreversible. Electricity and transportation contribute largely to global warming, so we must begin there. It is important to note that there is no silver bullet and we must all come together to tackle global warming as a whole. Every home, business, industry, individual effort is required to tackle this crisis.

As coal produces tons of Carbon dioxide annually, we need to find ways to clean up coal. We can also tackle global warming by beginning with putting agriculture in the system. We must encourage farmers to adapt to greener farming practices. For instance, they must till land less often, and plant trees on vacant land.

Moreover, the same regime needs to be applied to other industrial producers of carbon dioxide. For instance, the transportation industry of cars, trucks, planes and more produce 28% of the carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, we must reduce these emissions by enhancing the fuel efficiency of the vehicles. Also, it is high time we got rid of oil and gasoline-based fuels and opt for greener alternatives.

On an individual level also, we must work to adopt a greener and healthier lifestyle. Try to drive less and walk more or take public transport. Get into the habit of recycling and avoid unnecessary wastage of goods. Save electricity by switching off appliances when not in use.  Most importantly, plant a tree as a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Thus, remember, the change begins with you.

Read Essays for Students and Children here

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Speech for Students

• Speech on India for Students and Children
• Speech on Mother for Students and Children
• Speech on Air Pollution for Students and Children
• Speech about Life for Students and Children
• Speech on Disaster Management for Students and Children
• Speech on Internet for Students and Children
• Speech on Generation Gap for Students and Children
• Speech on Indian Culture for Students and Children
• Speech on Sports for Students and Children
• Speech on Water for Students and Children

16 responses to “Speech on Water for Students and Children”

this was very helpful it saved my life i got this at the correct time very nice and helpful

This Helped Me With My Speech!!!

I can give it 100 stars for the speech it is amazing i love it.

Its amazing!!

Great !!!! It is an advanced definition and detail about Pollution. The word limit is also sufficient. It helped me a lot.

This is very good

Very helpful in my speech

Oh my god, this saved my life. You can just copy and paste it and change a few words. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars, because I had to research a few words. But my teacher didn’t know about this website, so amazing.

Tomorrow is my exam . This is Very helpfull

It’s really very helpful

yah it’s is very cool and helpful for me… a lot of 👍👍👍

Very much helpful and its well crafted and expressed. Thumb’s up!!!

wow so amazing it helped me that one of environment infact i was given a certificate

check it out travel and tourism voucher

thank you very much

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Environment Story Of The Day NPR hide caption

Environment

• LISTEN & FOLLOW

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

Transcript: Greta Thunberg's Speech At The U.N. Climate Action Summit

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, addressed the U.N.'s Climate Action Summit in New York City on Monday. Here's the full transcript of Thunberg's speech, beginning with her response to a question about the message she has for world leaders.

"My message is that we'll be watching you.

"This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!

"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

'This Is All Wrong,' Greta Thunberg Tells World Leaders At U.N. Climate Session

"For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.

"You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe.

"The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50% chance of staying below 1.5 degrees [Celsius], and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.

"Fifty percent may be acceptable to you. But those numbers do not include tipping points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of equity and climate justice. They also rely on my generation sucking hundreds of billions of tons of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist.

"So a 50% risk is simply not acceptable to us — we who have to live with the consequences.

"To have a 67% chance of staying below a 1.5 degrees global temperature rise – the best odds given by the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] – the world had 420 gigatons of CO2 left to emit back on Jan. 1st, 2018. Today that figure is already down to less than 350 gigatons.

"How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just 'business as usual' and some technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than 8 1/2 years.

"There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.

"You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.

"We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

"Thank you."

• climate change
• greta thunberg

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Global Warming Speech for Students in English

Global Warming Speech for Students: Raise Your Voice for the Planet

In a Global Warming Speech, one can address that Global warming has been one of the leading causes of concern and is proving to be a threat since the beginning of the industrialization era. Global warming as the name suggests is the rise in global temperature that causes an imbalance in temperature due to human activities of emitting harmful gasses predominantly in the atmosphere. Here, we will go through  a Long Global Warming Speech and Short Global Warming Speech, covering the important features of global warming.

Long Global Warming Speech in English

This format of Global Warming Speech is useful for students in grades 8-12, as they can explain the meaning, causes, and effects as well as ways to prevent it in a simple language.

Good Morning everyone, today I ( mention your name) will share my views on the alarming issue of Global Warming. The concern has only grown due to industrialization and man’s attempt at modernizing the style of living. 

Let’s first understand what global warming is, it is basically the rise in global temperature due to the greenhouse gasses that are released into the atmosphere due to human activities or inventions. The greenhouse gasses consist of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons. 

The human activities that contribute to the release of such gasses are due to burning fossil fuels to generate electricity which is also the leading cause of carbon pollution and coal industries contribute a great deal in releasing such harmful gasses. So when these glasses are released into the atmosphere, they tend to absorb the solar radiation that otherwise naturally bounces of the earth’s surface, and these pollutants that trap solar radiation suspends in the atmosphere for centuries and raises the global temperature this is called the greenhouse gas effect, causing to dry up oceans, polluting the air, ice loss at North and South Poles and melting of glaciers, and leads to climate changes like storms, heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, and floods these extreme conditions are only depleting the earth’s ability to inhabit life. And the threat will only increase in the coming years which will make it difficult for future generations to inherit a sustainable planet. 

This disruption of habitats due to climate change is the consequence of Global Warming and if one wishes to curb this deadly cause that is threatening every habitat on Earth we should take steps together along with the government. We have to understand that all the global warming reasons are due to environmental pollution so the first steps have to be taken to control them and that will inevitably affect curbing global warming. The pollution has to be controlled by all fronts, mainly air pollution, so one can start using energy-efficient appliances and drive a fuel-efficient vehicle that will reduce the harmful release of gasses into the atmosphere to a tremendous extent. And whenever possible take a bicycle ride to work or for pleasure. 

The government is also taking action by introducing electric cars. Since all the other causes are due to burning fossil fuels to provide electricity, we can do our bit by being responsible for the use of electricity in our day to day life, like buying bulbs that will use energy to do the same work, and we can also pull the plug when not in use. The other way is to power our houses with renewable energy and reduce our electricity consumption and bills. You can effectively start doing this today by spreading this message to near and dear ones and help reduce Global Warming and thus conserving our planet. Speak up and make a difference.

Short Speech on Global Warming

This type of Global Warming Speech is useful for students in grades 4-7.

Good Morning everyone, I Abc ( mention your name) first want to thank you for this wonderful opportunity to allow me to share my views on the leading causes of concern in the past decades due to industrialization and the ever-increasing need to be a money driving machine the man has become i.e  Global Warming. This cause has become a threat and has led to devastating consequences. Global Warming is caused due to greenhouses gasses like carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide which is released into the atmosphere due to man-made activities like burning fossil fuels for electricity, gasses released from vehicles, be it train or plane, and industries especially coal which contributes to majority or carbon pollution that destroys the ozone layer in the atmosphere which allows absorption and passing of harmful solar radiation into earth’s atmosphere. This increases the average global temperature due to trapped gasses in the atmosphere that have existed for many centuries. This causes a rise in global temperature and disrupts all habitats. Global warming leads to serious climate change that has caused catastrophic effects like hurricanes, melting glaciers, drastic change in rainfall patterns, depletion of the ozone layer that puts so many beings at harm as they are constantly exposed to UV rays that causes many diseases, droughts, floods, heatwaves, storms. The ecosystem is disrupted and causing harm to the animal, agriculture, and humans. It is upon us to start acting responsibly for the conservation of the only planet that supports life, and one can do that by using renewable energy 

In all possible ways of day to day activities and use biodegradable matter to lead a sustainable living. 

10 Line Global Warming Speech In English

This type of Global Warming Speech is useful for students in grades 1-3 as they gain a certain perspective on the topic in a simple and easy form.

Global warming is not a recent phenomenon, it has been a concern since the pre-industrialization era, but the threat is only increasing as the years go by.

Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of the globe because the bodies that regulate the temperature like air, water, and nature are being harmed and polluted.

Pollution is caused due to an increase in population and their greed to lead a convenient life.

The main causes are carbon emissions, via coal industries, vehicles, trains, airplanes, factories, burning of fossil fuels, etc.

When such harmful emissions are released into the air the protecting layers like ozone starts depleting and this allows the entry of harmful solar rays to the atmosphere and thus the rise in temperature.

The increase in threat due to global warming is because of its catastrophic effects.

This then leads to climate changes and disrupts everything by causing unnatural effects like melting of glaciers, rise in sea level, hurricanes, droughts, floods.

The rainfall pattern changes have only worsened the agricultural lands and hence the vegetation.

We need to make everyday changes to curb the effects of climate changes by using renewable sources of energy be it solar or wind for electricity and other needs.

We have to start living sustainably to conserve our natural resources and planet.

Climate Crisis Chronicles: Unraveling the Impact on Glaciers, Weather, and Ecosystems

Melting Ice: Giants like glaciers are shrinking, raising sea levels. Imagine your favorite beach disappearing!

Wild Weather: Heat waves, droughts, floods, and stronger storms become more common, messing with crops and homes.

Ecosystem Overload: Plants and animals struggle to adapt to the changing climate, leading to extinctions and disrupted food chains.

It's not just about polar bears and penguins, though. These changes can threaten our food supplies, clean water, and even our health. And guess what? We, the humans, are the main reason for this mess.

Here's how we can build a healthier future:

Be energy detectives: Turn off lights and electronics when not in use. Shorten showers and unplug chargers. Every watt saved helps!

Fuel-efficiency champions: Walk, bike, or take public transport whenever possible. And when you must ride, choose fuel-efficient vehicles.

Tree-mendous warriors: Plant trees! They suck up carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Turn your schoolyard into a mini-forest!

Waste Warriors: Recycle, compost, and avoid single-use plastics. Less waste means less pollution in the air and landfills.

Voice of Change: Talk to your family, friends, and teachers about climate change. Share your passion, spread awareness, and inspire others to join the fight!

Remember, small actions multiplied by millions of people can create a huge impact. It's not about being perfect; it's about making conscious choices every day.

Conclusion:

This global warming speech for students provides a simple and engaging explanation of the issue, its impacts, and practical ways to make a difference. Remember, empowering students to be informed and active participants in protecting our planet is crucial for a sustainable future. So, let's get out there, raise our voices, and cool down our planet!

The future is in our hands, and together, we can make it cool!

FAQs on Global Warming Speech for Students in English

1. How do we learn the Global Warming Speech for Students in English?

Students need to prepare a draft of what they are going to talk about on the given topic. Students might find it a little difficult to learn the entire speech word by word, hence they can create a draft on the crux of the content of the speech. Along with that, they can make short notes on the important keywords, phrases and sentences which could help them earn brownie points! They must brace themselves while being able to convey their intentions of communicating with the audience in a strong and simple manner. So students can also practice their speech in front of the mirror which will help curb the fear of forgetting the speech.

2. What are the points we need to remember while writing the Global Warming Speech for Students in English?

The audience expects the speaker to be more articulate and less verbose. When it comes to topics like Global Warming, factual data, the causes/reasons, the impact and the future consequences are the ultimate points of concern. So while writing the speech, the language used must be kept very simple yet impactful. The speech must ensure that the speaker takes the audience on the path leading to the situation and reaching the destination. The speech should also convey the message on why the speaker wishes to let the others know his/her thoughts and how the other can understand and follow the footprints without distractions. Students can follow Vedantu for more strategies which are available in PDF format for free.

3. What should the students not include while writing a speech on Global Warming?

The speech should not contain long sentences. Every sentence must be crisp and clear so that the audience knows what the student wishes to say. Keep in mind the grammar used in the language which should always be written in first person while addressing the audience. The message must be crystal clear without beating around the bush. The structure must be very organized and should be in flow. Do not digress from the points which can disrupt the flow. The length of the speech must not be too long so mention only relevant facts and figures if needed.

4. How should we structure the Global Warming speech?

Here is how we should organize the whole speech:

Introduction - Introduce the speech using a quote on some famous personality and elaborate on ‘What’ the topic is all about.

Causes - This is an important section in which students must talk about the reasons for Global Warming or why it occurs like industries, use of ACs, air pollution, water pollution, etc.

Impact - This answers the ‘How’ or the impact of Global Warming on the climate and the people

Effects - Students must discuss the after effects of Global Warming like rise in sea level, melting of ice caps, the climate becoming hotter or colder in respective places, etc.

Conclusion- Here students can discuss the solutions of curbing Global Warming like use of solar power, protection of forests, biofuel using organic waste, etc.

5. How do we remove the fear of stage while practicing the speech?

Stage fright is often the cause of students forgetting their speeches or missing out on the important points while facing a huge audience. This could lead to deduction of marks. There are two ways in which a student can practice their speech:

After completing the writing of the speech, they can read out loud the whole speech while keeping their ears and eyes wide open. Keeping the sense alert is very important. 

Students can then practice while standing in front of the mirror and project their confidence and imagine themselves on stage.

Invest in news coverage you can trust.

Donate to PBS NewsHour by June 30 !

What do you think? Leave a respectful comment.

Gretchen Frazee Gretchen Frazee

• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-climate-activist-greta-thunbergs-speech-to-the-un

Read climate activist Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg chastised world leaders Monday for failing younger generations by not taking sufficient steps to stop climate change.

“You have stolen my childhood and my dreams with your empty words,” Thunberg said at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.

Thunberg traveled to the U.S. by sailboat last month so she could appear at the summit. She and other youth activists led international climate strikes on Friday in an attempt to garner awareness ahead of the UN’s meeting of political and business leaders.

Read Greta Thunberg’s speech below:

This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?

You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering, people are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you?

For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you’re doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight? You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency, but no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil and that I refuse to believe.

The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in ten years only gives us a 50 percent chance of staying below 1.5 degrees and the risk of setting up irreversible chain reactions beyond human control. Fifty percent may be acceptable to you, but those numbers do not include tipping points most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution, or the aspects of equity and climate justice.

They also rely on my generation sucking hundreds of billions of tons of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist. So a 50 percent risk is simply not acceptable to us. We who have to live with the consequences. To have a 67 percent chance of staying below the 1.5 degree of temperature rise, the best odds given by the IPCC, the world had 420 gigatons of CO2 left to emit back on January 1, 2018.

Today that figure is already down to less than 350 gigatons. How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just business as usual and some technical solutions? With today’s emissions levels, that remaining CO2 that entire budget will be gone is less than 8 and a half years. There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today because these numbers are too uncomfortable and you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.

You are failing us, but young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this, right here, right now, is where we draw the line. The world is waking up, and change is coming whether you like it or not.

Gretchen Frazee is a Senior Coordinating Broadcast Producer for the PBS NewsHour.

Support Provided By: Learn more

Support PBS NewsHour:

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

Climate change: Oh, it's real.

We still have a lot to learn about climate change, about why it's happening and what that means. But one thing is clear: It's real, alright. These talks provide a primer on the issue of our times.

Climate justice can't happen without racial justice

The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it

Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans

The case for stubborn optimism on climate

The disarming case to act right now on climate change

The link between climate change, health and poverty

The energy Africa needs to develop -- and fight climate change

The new urgency of climate change

Why climate change is a threat to human rights

Climate change will displace millions. Here's how we prepare

How climate change could make our food less nutritious

Climate Action: It’s time to make peace with nature, UN chief urges

Facebook Twitter Print Email

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has described the fight against the climate crisis as the top priority for the 21st Century, in a passionate, uncompromising speech delivered on Wednesday at Columbia University in New York.

The landmark address marks the beginning of a month of UN-led climate action, which includes the release of major reports on the global climate and fossil fuel production, culminating in a climate summit on 12 December, the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Nature always strikes back

Mr. Guterres began with a litany of the many ways in which nature is reacting, with “growing force and fury”, to humanity’s mishandling of the environment, which has seen a collapse in biodiversity, spreading deserts, and oceans reaching record temperatures.

The link between COVID-19 and man-made climate change was also made plain by the UN chief, who noted that the continued encroachment of people and livestock into animal habitats, risks exposing us to more deadly diseases.

And, whilst the economic slowdown resulting from the pandemic has temporarily slowed emissions of harmful greenhouse gases, levels of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane are still rising, with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere at a record high. Despite this worrying trend, fossil fuel production – responsible for a significant proportion of greenhouse gases – is predicted to continue on an upward path.

‘Time to flick the green switch’

The appropriate global response, said the Secretary-General, is a transformation of the world economy, flicking the “green switch” and building a sustainable system driven by renewable energy, green jobs and a resilient future.

One way to achieve this vision, is by achieving net zero emissions (read our feature story on net zero for a full explanation, and why it is so important). There are encouraging signs on this front, with several developed countries, including the UK, Japan and China, committing to the goal over the next few decades.

Mr. Guterres called on all countries, cities and businesses to target 2050 as the date by which they achieve carbon neutrality – to at least halt national increases in emissions - and for all individuals to do their part.

With the cost of renewable energy continuing to fall, this transition makes economic sense, and will lead to a net creation of 18 million jobs over the next 10 years. Nevertheless, the UN chief pointed out, the G20, the world’s largest economies, are planning to spend 50 per cent more on sectors linked to fossil fuel production and consumption, than on low-carbon energy.

Put a price on carbon

For years, many climate experts and activists have called for the cost of carbon-based pollution to be factored into the price of fossil fuels, a step that Mr. Guterres said would provide certainty and confidence for the private and financial sectors.

Companies, he declared, need to adjust their business models, ensuring that finance is directed to the green economy, and pension funds, which manage some $32 trillion in assets, need to step and invest in carbon-free portfolios.

Far more money, continued the Secretary-General, needs to be invested in adapting to the changing climate, which is hindering the UN’s work on disaster risk reduction. The international community, he said, has “both a moral imperative and a clear economic case, for supporting developing countries to adapt and build resilience to current and future climate impacts”.

Everything is interlinked

The COVID-19 pandemic put paid to many plans, including the UN’s ambitious plan to make 2020 the “super year” for buttressing the natural world. That ambition has now been shifted to 2021, and will involve a number of major climate-related international commitments.

These include the development of a plan to halt the biodiversity crisis; an Oceans Conference to protect marine environments; a global sustainable transport conference; and the first Food Systems Summit, aimed at transforming global food production and consumption.

Mr. Guterres ended his speech on a note of hope, amid the prospect of a new, more sustainable world in which mindsets are shifting, to take into account the importance of reducing each individual’s carbon footprint.

Far from looking to return to “normal”, a world of inequality, injustice and “heedless dominion over the Earth”, the next step, said the Secretary-General, should be towards a safer, more sustainable and equitable path, and for mankind to rethink our relationship with the natural world – and with each other.

You can read the full speech here .

Our planet is in a state of climate emergency.But I also see hope.There is momentum toward carbon neutrality. Many cities are becoming greener. The circular economy is reducing waste. Environmental laws have growing reach. And many people are taking #ClimateAction. pic.twitter.com/dDAHH279Er António Guterres, UN Secretary-General antonioguterres December 2, 2020

• climate change
• climate action

2 Minute Speech On Global Warming In English

Good morning everyone present here, today I am going to give a speech on global warming. The earth’s temperatures have been rising over a considerable amount of time. All living things on earth, including humans, animals, and wildlife, were impacted by this. Because of global warming, glaciers have been melting, many nations have experienced water shortages, flooding, and erosion. Only humans may be held responsible for global warming.

Use solar and wind energy instead of petroleum and other fossil fuels. Donate old clothing to someone so that it can be recycled rather than thrown out. Donate used books to avoid paper waste. Most importantly, raise public awareness of global warming. Every little thing a person does to protect the environment makes a difference, no matter how modest. We must understand that even 1% effort is preferable to 0% effort. Commit to protecting the environment and raising awareness of global warming. Thank you. 

Related Posts:

• News, Stories & Speeches
• Get Involved
• Structure and leadership
• Committee of Permanent Representatives
• UN Environment Assembly
• Funding and partnerships
• Policies and strategies
• Evaluation Office
• Secretariats and Conventions

• Asia and the Pacific
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• New York Office
• North America
• Climate action
• Nature action
• Chemicals and pollution action
• Digital Transformations
• Disasters and conflicts
• Environment under review
• Environmental rights and governance
• Extractives
• Fresh Water
• Green economy
• Ocean, seas and coasts
• Resource efficiency
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Youth, education and environment
• Publications & data

Time to get serious about climate change. On a warming planet, no one is safe.

Statement prepared for delivery at the press conference to launch the Summary for Policymakers of the Working Group I contribution to the 6 th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change titled “ Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis ."

Abdalah Mokssit, Secretary, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change   

Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organisation  

Dr. Hoesung Lee, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  

Thank you to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , the authors and everyone involved in this latest climate alarm. Your work is particularly appreciated given the disruption COVID-19 has caused. 

You have been telling us for over three decades of the dangers of allowing the planet to warm. The world listened, but it didn’t hear. The world listened, but it didn’t act strongly enough. As a result, climate change is a problem that is here, now. Nobody is safe. And it is getting worse faster. 

We must treat climate change as an immediate threat, just as we must treat the connected crises of nature and biodiversity loss , and pollution and waste , as immediate threats. As recently noted by the IPCC and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) , climate change exacerbates already grave risks to biodiversity and natural and managed habitats. Ecosystem degradation damages nature’s ability to reduce the force of climate change. And as the IPCC Working Group I report reminds us, reducing greenhouse gases will not only slow climate change, but improve air quality. It is all connected. 

It’s time to get serious because every tonne of CO2 emission adds to global warming. As the UNFCCC noted last week, just 110 of 191 Parties to the Convention have submitted new or updated NDCs ahead the next climate COP. Governments need to make their net-zero plans an integral part of their Paris commitments. They must finance and support developing countries to adapt to climate change, as promised in the Paris Agreement . They must decarbonize faster. Restore natural systems that draw down carbon. Cut out methane and other greenhouse gases faster. Get behind the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to cut the climate impact of the cooling industry. And every business, every investor, every citizen needs to play their part. 

We can’t undo the mistakes of the past. But this generation of political and business leaders, this generation of conscious citizens, can make things right. This generation can make the systemic changes that will stop the planet warming, help everyone adapt to the new conditions and create a world of peace, prosperity and equity. 

Climate change is here, now. But we are also here, now. And if we don’t act, who will? 

Inger Andersen

Executive Director

• Clean fuels

Further Resources

• Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report
• COVID-19 updates from the United Nations Environment Programme
• Adaptation Gap Report 2020
• Emissions Gap Report 2020

Related Content

Related Sustainable Development Goals

© 2024 UNEP Terms of Use Privacy   Report Project Concern Report Scam Contact Us

• CBSE Class 10th
• CBSE Class 12th
• UP Board 10th
• UP Board 12th
• Bihar Board 10th
• Bihar Board 12th
• Top Schools in India
• Top Schools in Delhi
• Top Schools in Mumbai
• Top Schools in Chennai
• Top Schools in Hyderabad
• Top Schools in Kolkata
• Top Schools in Pune
• Top Schools in Bangalore

Products & Resources

• JEE Main Knockout April
• Free Sample Papers
• Free Ebooks
• NCERT Notes
• NCERT Syllabus
• NCERT Books
• RD Sharma Solutions
• Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission 2024-25
• NCERT Solutions
• NCERT Solutions for Class 12
• NCERT Solutions for Class 11
• NCERT solutions for Class 10
• NCERT solutions for Class 9
• NCERT solutions for Class 8
• NCERT Solutions for Class 7
• JEE Main 2024
• MHT CET 2024
• JEE Advanced 2024
• BITSAT 2024
• View All Engineering Exams
• Colleges Accepting B.Tech Applications
• Top Engineering Colleges in India
• Engineering Colleges in India
• Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu
• Engineering Colleges Accepting JEE Main
• Top IITs in India
• Top NITs in India
• Top IIITs in India
• JEE Main College Predictor
• JEE Main Rank Predictor
• MHT CET College Predictor
• AP EAMCET College Predictor
• GATE College Predictor
• KCET College Predictor
• JEE Advanced College Predictor
• View All College Predictors
• JEE Advanced Cutoff
• JEE Main Cutoff
• MHT CET Result 2024
• JEE Advanced Result
• Download E-Books and Sample Papers
• Compare Colleges
• B.Tech College Applications
• AP EAMCET Result 2024
• MAH MBA CET Exam
• View All Management Exams

Colleges & Courses

• MBA College Admissions
• MBA Colleges in India
• Top IIMs Colleges in India
• Top Online MBA Colleges in India
• MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Score
• BBA Colleges in India
• XAT College Predictor 2024
• SNAP College Predictor
• NMAT College Predictor
• MAT College Predictor 2024
• CMAT College Predictor 2024
• CAT Percentile Predictor 2024
• CAT 2024 College Predictor
• TS ICET 2024 Results
• AP ICET Counselling 2024
• CMAT Result 2024
• MAH MBA CET Cutoff 2024
• Download Helpful Ebooks
• List of Popular Branches
• QnA - Get answers to your doubts
• IIM Fees Structure
• AIIMS Nursing
• Top Medical Colleges in India
• Top Medical Colleges in India accepting NEET Score
• Medical Colleges accepting NEET
• List of Medical Colleges in India
• List of AIIMS Colleges In India
• Medical Colleges in Maharashtra
• Medical Colleges in India Accepting NEET PG
• NEET College Predictor
• NEET PG College Predictor
• NEET MDS College Predictor
• NEET Rank Predictor
• DNB PDCET College Predictor
• NEET Result 2024
• NEET Asnwer Key 2024
• NEET Cut off
• NEET Online Preparation
• Download Helpful E-books
• Colleges Accepting Admissions
• Top Law Colleges in India
• Law College Accepting CLAT Score
• List of Law Colleges in India
• Top Law Colleges in Delhi
• Top NLUs Colleges in India
• Top Law Colleges in Chandigarh
• Top Law Collages in Lucknow

Predictors & E-Books

• CLAT College Predictor
• MHCET Law ( 5 Year L.L.B) College Predictor
• AILET College Predictor
• Sample Papers
• Compare Law Collages
• Careers360 Youtube Channel
• CLAT Syllabus 2025
• CLAT Previous Year Question Paper
• NID DAT Exam
• Pearl Academy Exam

Predictors & Articles

• NIFT College Predictor
• UCEED College Predictor
• NID DAT College Predictor
• NID DAT Syllabus 2025
• NID DAT 2025
• Design Colleges in India
• Top NIFT Colleges in India
• Fashion Design Colleges in India
• Top Interior Design Colleges in India
• Top Graphic Designing Colleges in India
• Fashion Design Colleges in Delhi
• Fashion Design Colleges in Mumbai
• Top Interior Design Colleges in Bangalore
• NIFT Result 2024
• NIFT Fees Structure
• NIFT Syllabus 2025
• Free Design E-books
• List of Branches
• Careers360 Youtube channel
• IPU CET BJMC
• JMI Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• IIMC Entrance Exam
• Media & Journalism colleges in Delhi
• Media & Journalism colleges in Bangalore
• Media & Journalism colleges in Mumbai
• List of Media & Journalism Colleges in India
• CA Intermediate
• CA Foundation
• CS Executive
• CS Professional
• Difference between CA and CS
• Difference between CA and CMA
• CA Full form
• CMA Full form
• CS Full form
• CA Salary In India

Top Courses & Careers

• Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)
• Master of Commerce (M.Com)
• Company Secretary
• Cost Accountant
• Charted Accountant
• Credit Manager
• Financial Advisor
• Top Commerce Colleges in India
• Top Government Commerce Colleges in India
• Top Private Commerce Colleges in India
• Top M.Com Colleges in Mumbai
• Top B.Com Colleges in India
• IT Colleges in Tamil Nadu
• IT Colleges in Uttar Pradesh
• MCA Colleges in India
• BCA Colleges in India

Quick Links

• Information Technology Courses
• Programming Courses
• Web Development Courses
• Data Analytics Courses
• Big Data Analytics Courses
• RUHS Pharmacy Admission Test
• Top Pharmacy Colleges in India
• Pharmacy Colleges in Pune
• Pharmacy Colleges in Mumbai
• Colleges Accepting GPAT Score
• Pharmacy Colleges in Lucknow
• List of Pharmacy Colleges in Nagpur
• GPAT Result
• GPAT 2024 Admit Card
• GPAT Question Papers
• NCHMCT JEE 2024
• Mah BHMCT CET
• Top Hotel Management Colleges in Delhi
• Top Hotel Management Colleges in Hyderabad
• Top Hotel Management Colleges in Mumbai
• Top Hotel Management Colleges in Tamil Nadu
• Top Hotel Management Colleges in Maharashtra
• B.Sc Hotel Management
• Hotel Management
• Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology

Diploma Colleges

• Top Diploma Colleges in Maharashtra
• UPSC IAS 2024
• SSC CGL 2024
• IBPS RRB 2024
• Previous Year Sample Papers
• Free Competition E-books
• Sarkari Result
• QnA- Get your doubts answered
• UPSC Previous Year Sample Papers
• CTET Previous Year Sample Papers
• SBI Clerk Previous Year Sample Papers
• NDA Previous Year Sample Papers

Upcoming Events

• NDA Application Form 2024
• UPSC IAS Application Form 2024
• CDS Application Form 2024
• CTET Admit card 2024
• HP TET Result 2023
• SSC GD Constable Admit Card 2024
• UPTET Notification 2024
• SBI Clerk Result 2024

Other Exams

• SSC CHSL 2024
• UP PCS 2024
• UGC NET 2024
• RRB NTPC 2024
• IBPS PO 2024
• IBPS Clerk 2024
• IBPS SO 2024
• Top University in USA
• Top University in Canada
• Top University in Ireland
• Top Universities in UK
• Top Universities in Australia
• Best MBA Colleges in Abroad
• Business Management Studies Colleges

Top Countries

• Study in USA
• Study in UK
• Study in Canada
• Study in Australia
• Study in Ireland
• Study in Germany
• Study in China
• Study in Europe

Student Visas

• Student Visa Canada
• Student Visa UK
• Student Visa USA
• Student Visa Australia
• Student Visa Germany
• Student Visa New Zealand
• Student Visa Ireland
• CUET PG 2024
• IGNOU B.Ed Admission 2024
• DU Admission 2024
• UP B.Ed JEE 2024
• LPU NEST 2024
• IIT JAM 2024
• IGNOU Online Admission 2024
• Universities in India
• Top Universities in India 2024
• Top Colleges in India
• Top Universities in Uttar Pradesh 2024
• Top Universities in Bihar
• Top Universities in Madhya Pradesh 2024
• Top Universities in Tamil Nadu 2024
• Central Universities in India
• CUET DU Cut off 2024
• IGNOU Date Sheet
• CUET DU CSAS Portal 2024
• CUET Response Sheet 2024
• CUET Result 2024
• CUET Participating Universities 2024
• CUET Previous Year Question Paper
• CUET Syllabus 2024 for Science Students
• E-Books and Sample Papers
• CUET Exam Pattern 2024
• CUET Exam Date 2024
• CUET Cut Off 2024
• CUET Exam Analysis 2024
• IGNOU Exam Form 2024
• CUET PG Counselling 2024
• CUET Answer Key 2024

Engineering Preparation

• Knockout JEE Main 2024
• Test Series JEE Main 2024
• JEE Main 2024 Rank Booster

Medical Preparation

• Knockout NEET 2024
• Test Series NEET 2024
• Rank Booster NEET 2024

Online Courses

• JEE Main One Month Course
• NEET One Month Course
• IBSAT Free Mock Tests
• IIT JEE Foundation Course
• Knockout BITSAT 2024
• Career Guidance Tool

Top Streams

• IT & Software Certification Courses
• Engineering and Architecture Certification Courses
• Programming And Development Certification Courses
• Business and Management Certification Courses
• Marketing Certification Courses
• Health and Fitness Certification Courses
• Design Certification Courses

Specializations

• Digital Marketing Certification Courses
• Cyber Security Certification Courses
• Artificial Intelligence Certification Courses
• Business Analytics Certification Courses
• Data Science Certification Courses
• Cloud Computing Certification Courses
• Machine Learning Certification Courses
• View All Certification Courses
• UG Degree Courses
• PG Degree Courses
• Short Term Courses
• Free Courses
• Online Degrees and Diplomas
• Compare Courses

Top Providers

• Coursera Courses
• Udemy Courses
• Edx Courses
• Swayam Courses
• upGrad Courses
• Simplilearn Courses
• Great Learning Courses

Global Warming Speech - 10 Lines, Short and Long Speech

Speech on global warming -.

Global warming is a phenomenon in which the temperature near the surface of the earth gradually rises. This phenomenon has been observed over the past century or two. Global warming is the long-term increase in the temperature of the entire earth. Global warming refers only to the rise in the surface temperature of the earth, but climate change includes warming and its "side effects" such as melting glaciers, severe storms and frequent droughts. Here are some speeches on the topic of “Global Warming” .

10 lines on Global Warming

1. Global warming is the trapping of too much heat from the sun in the earth's atmosphere.

2. Global warming will bring us disaster.

3. To control global warming, it is important to control greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Global warming is causing ocean acidification, threatening fisheries and other species.

5. It causes massive evaporation of oceans, resulting in cloud formation.

6. The senseless use of natural resources is another cause of global warming.

7. Rising global temperatures will lead to the melting of glaciers, leading to rising sea levels.

8. Due to global warming, sea/water temperatures are also rising. This affects marine life.

9. We can prevent global warming by planting more trees and controlling the release of harmful gases into the atmosphere.

10. We must understand that any activity that harms nature contributes to global warming.

Short Speech on Global Warming

Causes of global warming.

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation reflected from the earth's surface. Normally this radiation escapes into space, but these pollutants can remain in the atmosphere for years and even centuries, trapping heat and making the Earth hotter. These heat-trapping pollutants, particularly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogenous oxide, water vapour, and synthetic fluorinated gases, are known as greenhouse gases, and their effects are known as the greenhouse effect.

Effects of Global Warming

Climate change | Global warming causes many climate changes in the atmosphere, including: Increased summers, decreased winters, rising temperatures, changes in air circulation patterns, unseasonable rains, melting ice caps, destruction of the ozone layer, occurrence of severe storms, cyclones, floods, droughts, and many others. Due to global warming, earth temperature increases day by day.

Rise in Temperature |This makes storms stronger and more frequent. They cause floods and landslides, destroy homes and communities, and cost billions of dollars. Climate change amplifies the factors that drive people into poverty and drive them into poverty. Floods can wipe out urban slums, destroying homes and livelihoods. Weather-related disasters displace 2.3 million people each year, leaving many vulnerable to poverty.

Long Speech on Global Warming

Global warming is the slow, long-term increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect, in which gases from various human activities, including burning fossil fuels, trap heat from solar radiation.

As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the earth, it traps heat from the sun. This results in an increase in the earth's temperature. The world is currently warming the fastest in recorded history. Natural cycles and variability have changed the Earth's climate many times over the past 800,000 years, but the current era of global warming right now is directly linked to changing human activity— especially burning of coal, oil, gasoline, and natural gas that is contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Hazardous Effect Of Global Warming

One of the most direct and obvious consequences of global warming is rising temperatures around the world. The average global temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. Weather patterns are changing as the average global temperature rises. Extreme temperatures are also a result of global warming. Lightning is another weather feature affected by global warming.

Food insecurity

Climate change and increasing extreme weather events are one of the reasons for the increase in hunger and malnutrition around the world. Fisheries, crops and livestock can be destroyed or reduced in productivity. Heat stress can reduce water and grassland for grazing.

Species Extinction

Climate change threatens the survival of species on land and in the sea. These risks increase with increasing temperatures. Wildfires, extreme weather conditions, invasive pests and diseases are among the many threats. Some species can migrate and survive, others cannot.

Solution To Global Warming

By use of green energy | Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas. The more these are mined and burned, the worse the climate change. All countries must move their economies away from fossil fuels as soon as possible. Most of the countries are dependent on diesel vehicles.

Use pollution free vehicle | We should use pollution free vehicles for saving the environment. Switching our primary energy source to clean, renewable energy is the best way to end the use of fossil fuels. Many technologies such as solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal are available. Forests are essential in the fight against climate change, and protecting forests is an important solution to climate change.

Deforestation on an industrial scale destroys giant trees that can absorb enormous amounts of carbon. But companies are destroying forests to make room for cattle breeding, soybean and palm oil plantations. Government needs to create strong laws against global warming. The ocean also absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, stabilising the climate. However, many are overfished, used for oil and gas drilling, or threatened by deep-sea mining. Protecting the oceans and the life that inhabits them is ultimately how we protect ourselves from climate change.

Global warming is important because it helps determine future climate projections—latitude can be used to determine the probability that snow or hail will reach the surface. You can also determine the thermal energy from the sun available in your area. Global warming is the scientific study of climate and is defined as average weather conditions over a period of time.

Applications for Admissions are open.

Aakash iACST Scholarship Test 2024

Get up to 90% scholarship on NEET, JEE & Foundation courses

ALLEN Digital Scholarship Admission Test (ADSAT)

Register FREE for ALLEN Digital Scholarship Admission Test (ADSAT)

JEE Main Important Physics formulas

As per latest 2024 syllabus. Physics formulas, equations, & laws of class 11 & 12th chapters

PW JEE Coaching

Enrol in PW Vidyapeeth center for JEE coaching

JEE Main Important Chemistry formulas

As per latest 2024 syllabus. Chemistry formulas, equations, & laws of class 11 & 12th chapters

ALLEN JEE Exam Prep

Start your JEE preparation with ALLEN

Download Careers360 App's

Regular exam updates, QnA, Predictors, College Applications & E-books now on your Mobile

Certifications

We Appeared in

Read Greta Thunberg's full speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit

Teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg spoke at the United Nations on Monday about climate change, accusing world leaders of inaction and half-measures.

Here are her full remarks:

My message is that we'll be watching you.

This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet, you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!

You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words and yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.

You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency, but no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act then you would be evil and that I refuse to believe.

The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50 percent chance of staying below 1.5 degrees and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.

Fifty percent may be acceptable to you, but those numbers do not include tipping points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of equity and climate justice.

They also rely on my generation sucking hundreds of billions of tons of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist.

So a 50 percent risk is simply not acceptable to us, we who have to live with the consequences.

How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just business as usual and some technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than eight and a half years.

There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because these numbers are too uncomfortable and you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.

You are failing us, but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you and if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.

We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up and change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden on Actions to Tackle the Climate   Crisis

Brayton Point Power Station Somerset, Massachusetts

2:43 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.  And thank you for your patience.  You’ve been sitting out here.  Appreciate — please, have a seat, if you have one.

Well, hello, Massachusetts.  (Applause.)  It’s an honor to be with your outstanding members of Congress today: Senator Ed Markey.  Ed?  Where’s — there you go.  (Applause.)  Senator Elizabeth Warren.  (Applause.)  Congressman Auchincloss — -oss.  Where is she?  There you go, Jake.  Bill Keating — Congressman.  (Applause.) 

And your great former members and one of my dearest friends, John Kerry, who’s doing a great job leading our international — (applause) — Special Presidential Envoy on Climate, traveling the world and talking with an awful lot of people he’s talking into moving more than they’ve been doing. 

And another great Massachusetts nata- — native, Gina McCarthy.  Gina?  (Applause.)  There she is.  My National Climate Advisor is leading our climate efforts here at home.

It’s an honor to be joined by your neighbor by — your neighbor from Rhode Island.  He’s not a bad guy at all.  (Laughter.)  I live in his house.  Sheldon Whitehouse — a great champion — (applause) — a great champion of the environment.  And he’d been banging away at it.

I come here today with a message: As President, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger.  And that’s what climate change is about.  It is literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger.

The health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake.

The U.N.’s leading international climate scientists called the latest climate report nothing less than, quote, “code red for humanity.”  Let me say it again: “Code red for humanity.”  It’s not a group of political official — elected officials.  These are the scientists.

We see here in America, in red states and blue states, extreme weather events costing $145 billion — $145 billion in damages just last year — more powerful and destructive hurricanes and tornadoes. 

I’ve flown over the vast majority of them out west and down in Louisiana, all across America.  It’s a — it’s amazing to see. 

Ravaging hundred-year-old droughts occurring every few years instead of every hundred years.  Wildfires out west that have burned and destroyed more than 5 million acres — everything in its path.  That is more land than the entire state of New Jersey, from New York down to the tip of Delaware.  It’s amazing.  Five million acres.

Our national security is at stake as well.  Extreme weather is already damaging our military installations here in the States.  And our economy is at risk.  So we have to act.

Extreme weather disrupts supply chains, causing delays and shortages for consumers and businesses.

Climate change is literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world. 

So my message today is this: Since Congress is not acting as it should — and these guys here are, but we’re not getting many Republican votes — this is an emergency.  An emergency.  And I will — I will look at it that way.

I said last week and I’ll say it again loud and clear: As President, I’ll use my executive powers to combat climate — the climate crisis in the absence of congressional actions, notwithstanding their incredible action.  (Applause.) 

In the coming days, my administration will announce the executive actions we have developed to combat this emergency.  We need to act. 

But just take a look around: Right now, 100 million Americans are under heat alert — 100 million Americans.  Ninety communities across America set records for high temperatures just this year, including here in New England as we speak.

And, by the way, records have been set in the Arctic and the Antarctic, with temperatures that are just unbelievable, melting the permafrost.  And it’s astounding the damage that’s being done.

And this crisis impacts every aspect of our everyday life.  That’s why today I’m making the largest investment ever — $2.3 billion — to help communities across the country build infrastructure that is designed to withstand the full range of disasters we’ve been seeing up to today -– extreme heat, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes.

Right now, there are millions of people suffering from extreme heat at home.  So my team is also working with the states to deploy $385 million right now.

For the first time, states will be able to use federal funds to pay for air conditioners in homes, set up community cooling centers in schools where people can get through these extreme heat crises.  And I mean people — and crises that are 100 to 117 degrees.

An Infrastructure Law that your members of Congress have delivered includes $3.1 billion to weatherize homes and make them more energy efficient, which will lower energy cost while keeping America cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and not using too much energy.

And my Department of Labor, led by a guy named Marty Walsh — (said in Boston accent) — he talks funny, but he’s a hell of a guy.  (Applause.)  But all kidding aside, Marty was a great mayor, and I know — I know he knows how to get a job done. 

And he’s doing two things for me:

First of all, as Secretary of Labor, he’s developing the first-ever workplace standards for extreme heat, saying, under these cond- — under these conditions, if it hits this pr- — you cannot do the following — you cannot ask people to do a certain thing.

Second, he’s sending folks out from the Labor Department to make sure we hold workplaces and — to those standards that are being set.  They’ve already completed over 500 heat-related inspections of workplaces across 43 states.  At the end of the day, it’s going to save lives.

Now, let me tell you why we’re here at Brayton Point.  Five years ago, this towering power plant that once stood with cooling towers 500 feet high closed down.  The coal plant at Brayton Point was the largest of its kind in New England — 1,500 megawatts of power, enough to power one in five Massachusetts homes and businesses.

For over 50 years, this plant supported this region’s economy through their electrici- — the electricity they supplied, the good jobs they provided, and the local taxes they paid.

But the plant, like many others around the country, had another legacy: one of toxins, smog, greenhouse gas emissions, the kind of pollution that contributed to the climate emergency we now face today.

Gina McCarthy, a former regulator in Massachusetts, was telling me on the way up how folks used to get a rag out and wipe the gunk off of their car’s windshields in the morning just to be able to drive — not very much unlike where I grew up in a place called Claymont, Delaware — which has more oil refineries than Houston, Texas, had in its region — just across the line in Pennsylvania.  And all the prevailing winds were our way. I just lived up the road.  I just — in an apartment complex when we moved to Delaware.  And just up the road was a little school I went to, Holy Rosary grade school.  And because it was a four-lane highway that was accessible, my mother drove us and — rather than us be able to walk. And guess what?  The first frost, you knew what was happening.  You had to put on your windshield wipers to get, literally, the oil slick off the window.  That’s why I and so damn many other people I grew up [with] have cancer and why can- — for the longest time, Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation.

But that’s the past, and we’re going to get — we’re going to build a different future with one — one with clean energy, good-paying jobs.

Just 15 years ago, America generated more than half its electricity from coal — coal-fired plants.  Today, that’s down to 20 percent because there’s a big transition happening.

Many of these fossil fuel plants are becoming sites for new clean energy construction.  Others are switching to new, clean technologies.

Look at Brayton Point.  Today, Brayton is one of the frontiers — on the frontier of clean energy in America.  On this site, they’ll manufacture four hun- — 248 miles of high-tech, heavy-duty cables.  Those specialized, subsea cables are necessary to tie offshore wind farms to the existing grid.

Manufacturing these cables will mean good-paying jobs for 250 workers — as many workers as the old plant — power plant had at its peak. 

And the port — (applause) — the port here, 34 feet deep, was used to carry coal into the power plant.  Now we’re going to use that same port to carry components of — for wind power into the sea.

The converter station here and the substation nearby are the assets that move energy across the power lines.

They’ll now move clean electricity generated offshore by the wind — (applause) — enough power to power hundreds of thousands of homes onto the grid — putting old assets to work delivering clean energy.  This didn’t happen by accident.  It happened because we believed and invested in America’s innovation and ingenuity.

One of the companies investing in the factory here joined me at the White House this month.  Vineyard Winds, whose CEO told me about the ground-breaking project labor agreements they’ve negotiated, would create good-paying union jobs.  (Applause.)

And I want to compliment Congressman Bill Keating for his work in this area.

I’m also proud to point out that my administration approved the first commercial project for offshore wind in America, which is being constructed by Vineyard Winds.

Folks, elsewhere in the country, we are pr- — we are propelling retrofits and ensuring that even where fossil fuel plant retires, they still have a role in powering the future.

In Illinois, for example, the state has launched a broad effort to invest in converting old power plants to solar farms, led by Governor Pritzker.

In California, the IBEW members have helped turn a former oil plant into the world’s largest battery storage facility — the world’s largest facility.

In Wyoming, innovators are chosen to — a retiring plant as the next site for the next-generation nuclear plant.

And my administr- — my administration is a partner in that progress, driving federal resources and funding to the communities that have powered this country for generations.  And that’s why they need to be taken care of as well.

I want to thank Cecil Roberts, a friend and President of United Mine Workers of America, and so many other labor leaders who worked with — worked with on these initiatives.

Since I took office, we’ve invested more than $4 billion in federal funding to the 25 hardest-hit coal communities in the country, from West Virginia, to Kentucky, to Wyoming, to New Mexico.

Through the Infrastructure Law, we’re investing in clean hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture with the largest grid investment in American history.

We’ve secured $16 billion to clean up abandoned mines and wells, protecting thousands of communities from toxins and waste, particularly methane.  And we still — and we’re going to seal leaking methane pollution — an incredibly power[ful] greenhouse gas that’s 40 times more dangerous to the environment than carbon dioxide.  (Applause.)

And, folks, with American leadership back on climate, I was able to bring more world leaders together than — we got 100 nations together to agree that — at the major conference in Glasgow, England — I mean, Scotland — to change the emissions policies we had.

We’ve made real progress, but there is an enormous task ahead.  We have to keep retaining and recruiting building trades and union electricians for jobs in wind, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, creating even more and better jobs.

We have to revitalize communities, especially those fence-line communities that are smothered by the legacy of pollution.

We have to outcompete China and in the world, and make these technologies here in the United States — not have to import them.

Folks, when I think about climate change — and I’ve been saying this for three years — I think jobs.  Climate change, I think jobs.  (Applause.)

Almost 100 wind turbines going up off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island with ground broken and work underway.

Jobs manufacturing 2,500-ton steel foundations that anchor these offshore wind farms to the sea’s floor.  Jobs manufacturing a Jones Act vessel in Texas to service these offshore wind farms.

We’re going to make sure that the ocean is open for the clean energy of our future, and everything we can do — give a green light to wind power on the Atlantic coast, where my predecessor’s actions only created confusion.

And today we begin the process to develop wind power in the Gulf of Mexico as well for the first time.  A real opportunity to power millions of additional homes from wind.

Let’s clear the way — let’s clear the way for clean energy and connect these projects to the grid.

I’ve directed my administration to clear every federal hurdle and streamline federal permitting that brings these clean energy projects online right now and right away.  And some of you have already come up and talked to me about that.  (Applause.)  

And while so many governors and mayors have been strong partners in this fight to tackle climate change, we need all governors and mayors.  We need public utility commissioners and state agency heads.  We need electric utilities and developers to stand up and be part of the solution.  Don’t be a road block.  (Applause.)

You all have a duty right now to our economy, to our competitiveness in the world, to the young people in this nation, and to future generations — and that sounds like hyperbole but it’s not; it’s real — to act boldly on climate.

And so does Congress, which — notwithstanding the leadership of the men and women that are here today — has failed in this duty.  Not a single Republican in Congress stepped up to support my climate plan.  Not one. 

So, let me be clear: Climate change is an emergency. 

And in the coming weeks, I’m going to use the power I have as President to turn these words into formal, official government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders, and regulatory power that a President possesses.  (Applause.) 

And when it comes to fighting the climate change — climate change, I will not take no for an answer.  I will do everything in my power to clean our air and water, protect our people’s health, to win the clean energy future. 

This, again, sounds like hyperbole, but our children and grandchildren are counting on us.  Not a joke.  Not a joke.  

If we don’t keep it below 1.5 degrees Centigrade, we lose it all.  We don’t get to turn it around.  And the world is counting on us.  And this is the United States of America.  When we put our hearts and minds to it, there’s not a single thing beyond our capacity — I mean it — when we act together. 

And of all things we should be acting together on, it’s climate.  It’s climate.

And, by the way, my dear mother — God rest her soul — used to say, “Joey, out of everything bad, something good will come if you look hard enough.”  Look what’s happening.  We’re going to be able to create as many or more good-paying jobs.  We’re going to make environments where people live safer.  We’re going to make the clean — the air safer.  I really mean it.  We have an opportunity here. 

I’ll bet you when you see what’s happened here in this cable construction here — manufacturing — and you go back and ask all the people who grew up in this beautiful place what they’d rather have: Do they want the plant back with everything it had, or what you’re going to have?  I will be dumbfounded if you find anybody, other than for pure sentimental reasons, saying, “I’d rather have the coal plant.” 

I’ll end by telling you another quick story.  When we moved from Scranton — when coal died in Scranton, everything died in Scranton.  And my dad wasn’t a coal miner.  My — my great — my great-grandfather was a mining engineer.  But my dad was in sales, and there was no work.  So we left to go down to Delaware, where I told you where those oil plants were. 

But I remember driving home — when you take the trolley in Scranton, going out North Washington and Adams Avenues.  Within 15 blocks — we didn’t live in the neighborhood — among the most prestigious neighborhood in the region, in the — in the town where the Scrantons and other good, decent people lived, there was a pla- — you’d go by a wall that — my recollection is it was somewhere between 15 and 18 feet tall.  And it went for the — essentially, a city block. 

And you could see the coal piled up to the very top of the wall from inside.  It was a coal-fired plant.  A coal-fired plant.  And all of that — all of the negative impacts of breathing that coal, the dust were effecting everybody.  But at the time, people didn’t know it and there wasn’t any alternative.

Folks, we have no excuse now.  We know it.  There are answers for it.  We can make things better in terms of jobs.  We can make things better in terms of the environment.  We can make things better for families overall.  So I’m looking forward to this movement. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  May God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

3:02 P.M. EDT

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.

• Environment /

UN secretary-general labels humanity as ‘the meteor’ in fiery climate speech

‘we are not only in danger. we are the danger. but we are also the solution.’.

By Justine Calma , a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.

Share this story

The climate as we know it may be in the rear-view mirror, and there is precious little time to change course before careening past a dangerous threshold for global warming.

That was the sentiment expressed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during fiery remarks, which followed new data released today by the World Meteorological Organization and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service .

“Like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, we’re having an outsize impact. In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor,” Guterres said in the speech he delivered from American Museum of Natural History in New York City — where dinosaur skeletons tower above visitors in the lobby — on World Environment Day today. “We are not only in danger. We are the danger. But we are also the solution,” he said.

Last month was officially the hottest May in history, marking 12 straight months of the hottest on record

Last month was officially the hottest May in history, marking 12 straight months of the hottest on record. We’ve seen that play out with record-smashing heatwaves around the world, and there’s not much relief in sight.

Policymakers and UN climate scientists are focused on a key milestone: the point at which global average temperatures are consistently 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than they were before the Industrial Revolution. The most ambitious target of the landmark Paris accord is to keep the world from breaching that threshold. Otherwise, the effects of climate change grow markedly worse — straining and potentially surpassing the world’s ability to adapt.

2023 was already the hottest year on record , but likely not for much longer. There’s now an 80 percent chance that at least one of the next five years will be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than the preindustrial average, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). When the Paris agreement was struck in 2015, there was a near 0 percent chance of that happening.

While one year of extreme heat certainly takes its toll, climate scientists are most worried about those temperatures becoming the new norm. The WMO says there’s now a roughly 50 percent chance that average temperatures over the next five years will also be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than the preindustrial era. Last year, there was only a 32 percent chance of that happening.

The odds are rising against us because greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels continue to climb . Scientists have calculated how much planet-heating carbon dioxide can still be released before that pollution is enough to push the world beyond a permanent 1.5 degrees of warming. That carbon budget is now down to 200 billion metric tons of pollution, Guterres said today. That’s actually a small number considering global carbon dioxide emissions reach about 40 billion metric tons a year.

At those numbers, we have about five years left of business as usual before that Paris target is out of reach. And while there’s much political wrangling about what it would take to avoid 1.5 degrees of warming, Guterres reminded people that there are real-world consequences.

“It is not a goal. It is a physical limit,” he said. “Every fraction of a degree of global heating counts. The difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees could be the difference between extinction and survival for some small island states and coastal communities.”

Compared to 1.5 degrees, 40,000 more people could see their homes inundated at 2 degrees of warming. The proportion of the global population exposed to extreme heatwaves at least once every five years jumps from 14 to 37 percent with just half a degree of warming at the global level.

• El Niño expected to smash heat records in 2024
• Ancient trees show how hot summers have gotten

With a shrinking carbon budget, global CO2 emissions would now have to fall by 9 percent every year this decade to stop global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. That is a greater plunge in pollution than the world experienced in 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic curbed economic activity and slashed CO2 emissions by more than 5 percent . Emissions would need to fall to net zero by 2050.

Guterres, at least, is still holding out hope that countries can change course with a sharp turn toward renewable energy. After all, solar and onshore wind farms are already the cheapest source of electricity for most of the world.

Clean energy investments have nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching a record high last year. That progress needs to accelerate, he urged. Renewables make up 30 percent of the world’s electricity mix. But there are big inequities in how that’s rolling out, with only 15 percent of clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies outside of China. Less than 1 percent of new renewable energy capacity was installed in Africa last year.

There’s also a lack of funding to adapt to the effects of climate change, building homes and cities that are more resilient to rising seas and temperatures. There’s only about five cents of funding available for every dollar needed to adapt to extreme weather, Guterres warned.

“If money makes the world go round, today’s unequal financial flows are sending us spinning toward disaster,” he said. “We cannot accept a future where the rich are protected in air-conditioned bubbles, while the rest of humanity is lashed by lethal weather in unlivable lands.”

Live blog: Apple’s AI plans, iOS 18, and more at WWDC 2024

Apple intelligence: every new ai feature coming to the iphone and mac, microsoft announces a discless xbox series x console in white, xbox games showcase 2024: all the news, trailers, and announcements, apple needs to show us the other half of the ipad pro.

More from Science

Watch Boeing Starliner’s third crewed launch attempt

The Dexcom G7 now lets you monitor real-time blood sugar on the Apple Watch

China will be the first to retrieve soil samples from the far side of the Moon

It’s getting cheaper to filter carbon dioxide out of the air

1 Minute Speech on Global Warming

Ai generator.

Good morning everyone,

Today, I want to talk about global warming. Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth’s average temperature due to human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. This rise in temperature is causing significant changes to our climate.

The impacts of global warming are widespread and alarming. We’re witnessing more frequent and severe weather events like hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires. Polar ice caps are melting, leading to rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities. These changes disrupt ecosystems, endanger wildlife, and affect agriculture, water supplies, and human health.

It’s crucial that we take action now to combat global warming. This means reducing our carbon footprint by using renewable energy, conserving energy, and supporting policies aimed at protecting the environment. Each of us can make a difference through small changes in our daily lives, like using public transport, recycling, and reducing waste.

Let’s commit to being part of the solution and work together to ensure a healthier planet for future generations.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

• My View My View
• Following Following
• Saved Saved

World hits streak of record temperatures as UN warns of 'climate hell'

• Medium Text
• Month of May caps 12 months of record temperatures
• UN's Guterres warns of 'highway to climate hell'
• Urges countries to cut CO2 emissions faster
• Scientists say even warmer years ahead

'WAY OFF TRACK'

Sign up here.

Reporting by Kate Abnett in Brussels, Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber in Geneva, and Valerie Volcovici in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Katy Daigle, Alexander Smith, Alexandra Hudson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Kate Abnett covers EU climate and energy policy in Brussels, reporting on Europe’s green transition and how climate change is affecting people and ecosystems across the EU. Other areas of coverage include international climate diplomacy. Before joining Reuters, Kate covered emissions and energy markets for Argus Media in London. She is part of the teams whose reporting on Europe’s energy crisis won two Reuters journalist of the year awards in 2022.

Sustainability Chevron

Activist investor Elliott calls for Southwest Airlines leadership, board changes

Elliott Investment Management called for leadership and board changes at Southwest Airlines after reporting a stake worth about $1.9 billion in the U.S. carrier, saying the company needs fresh perspectives to compete in the modern airline industry.

Search the United Nations

• What Is Climate Change
• Myth Busters
• Renewable Energy
• Finance & Justice
• Initiatives
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Paris Agreement
• Climate Ambition Summit 2023
• Climate Conferences
• Press Material
• Communications Tips

Speeches on Climate Action

From top leaders around the united nations, secretary-general's special address on climate action "a moment of truth".

“Now is the time to mobilise, now is the time to act, now is the time to deliver. This is our moment of truth.”

Secretary-General's remarks to opening of High-Level meeting on mobilization of resources for small island developing states

“Global institutions cannot be effective if they are not representative. SIDS must have a seat at every table, and your voices must be heard.”

Secretary-General's remarks to opening of Fourth Small Island Developing States Conference

“SIDS have demonstrated strong and principled leadership on climate action and on the capacity to respond to the challenges that we face in the last three decades.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the closing of the Small Island Developing States Global Business Network Forum

“I urge you to prioritize climate action by developing and implementing ambitious, credible, and verifiable net-zero plans.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the United Nations Civil Society Conference in support of the Summit of the Future

“Our fight is one fight: Creating a better world and a brighter future for all.”

Secretary-General's press conference ahead of the closing session of the United Nations Civil Society Conference

“The crises we face demand international solutions.The United Nations will never stop fighting to deliver – for Africa and for all humanity.”

Secretary-General's message on World Press Freedom Day

“The United Nations recognizes the invaluable work of journalists and media professionals to ensure that the public is informed and engaged.”

Secretary-General's remarks for the Launch of the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals

“The renewables revolution is happening – but we must make sure that it is done in a way that moves us towards justice.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the UNDP Climate Promise 2025 Launch

“And together, let’s make the next round of climate action plans count.”

Secretary-General’s message on International Mother Earth Day

“Repairing relations with Mother Earth is the mother of all of humanity’s challenges. We must act – and act now – to create a better future for us all.”

Secretary-General's video message for the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action

“The end of the fossil fuel age is coming. It is unstoppable. But finance is essential to supercharge the shift.”

Secretary-General’s video message to the Opening of Part II of the 14th IRENA Assembly

“Our task is to ensure the transition is fast enough, and fair enough – to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and bring the benefits of affordable clean power to everyone by 2030.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum

“I salute young people for being on the frontlines for bold climate action.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the General Assembly debate on Debt Sustainability and Socio-Economic Equality for All

“Let’s seize this opportunity to forge a more effective and fairer multilateral system — one that responds to the needs of today's world with agility, empathy and above all, justice.”

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary’s remarks at Chatham House

“Every voice matters. Yours have never been more important. If you want bolder climate action, now is the time to make yours count.”

Secretary-General’s message on the International Day of Zero Waste

“On this Zero Waste Day, let’s pledge to end the destructive cycle of waste, once and for all.”

Secretary-General's message on Earth Hour

“Together, let’s turn off the lights and turn the world towards a brighter future for us all.”

Secretary-General’s message on World Meteorological Day

“All of us must unite at the frontlines of climate action – the theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day – and fight for a better future.”

Secretary-General's message on World Water Day

“Water stewardship can strengthen multilateralism and ties between communities, and build resilience to climate disasters.”

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary’s remarks at the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial

“On climate action - we’re now in the race to the top. Every country has a choice: plan for a better economy and fix finance for a better world or miss out on the opportunities others are reaping.”

Secretary-General's video message to the WMO “State of the Global Climate 2023” report launch

“Every fraction of a degree of global heating impacts the future of life on Earth.”

Secretary-General's video message for the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities

“The fight against climate catastrophe will be lost or won in cities, which account for 70 per cent of carbon emissions.”

Secretary-General's message on World Wildlife Day

“We depend on nature. Let’s show that nature can depend on us – and act now to protect it."

Secretary-General's remarks at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit

“All countries must commit to new economy-wide nationally determined contributions by 2025 that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

Secretary-General's video message to the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly

“You have shown before that you can unite and deliver – most recently with your historic decision to negotiate a plastic treaty. I urge you to do so again – and go further.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Human Rights Council

“Environmental justice and climate justice are rallying cries for ethical, equitable treatment, accountability and human rights.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Munich Security Conference: Growing the Pie: A Global Order that works for Everyone

“The next two years must see ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions – national climate plans – from every country, covering every sector.”

Secretary-General's video message to the International Energy Agency's 50th Anniversary Celebration

“Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, ultimately depends on putting an end to fossil fuels.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council High-level Open Debate on the Impact of Climate Change and Food Insecurity on the Maintenance of Int'l Peace and Security

“Climate action is action for food security and action for peace.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

“From climate change to health to artificial intelligence, the equal participation of women and girls in scientific discovery and innovation is the only way to ensure that science works for everyone.”

Secretary-General's briefing to the General Assembly on Priorities for 2024

“We must act this year to ensure that the transition is just for people and planet – and that it will be fast enough to prevent full-on climate catastrophe”

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary’s remarks at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan

“At UN Climate Change, we will not rest in pushing for the highest ambition – in accordance with the science – working side-by-side with all governments, businesses and community leaders.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Clean Energy

“Strong, cohesive societies can only be built on a foundation of advancing sustainable development, respecting human rights, and recognizing the rights of minorities, and standing up to all forms of discrimination.”

Secretary-General's press encounter at Third South Summit - G77 plus China

“This September, the United Nations will convene the Summit of the Future, with a focus on updating these institutions so that they align with today’s world and respond to today’s challenges.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Third South Summit - G77 Plus China

“I ask you to unite against climate catastrophe. The very existence of some countries in this room depends on limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

Secretary-General's Special Address to the World Economic Forum

“The phaseout of fossil fuels is essential and inevitable. No amount of spin or scare tactics will change that. Let’s hope it doesn’t come too late.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Sustainable Regional Aviation Forum

“A carbon-free future is the only way forward. And the aviation sector can help deliver this future.”

Secretary-General's video message for New Year 2024 [available in EN & FR]

“2024 must be a year for rebuilding trust and restoring hope. We must come together across divides for shared solutions”

Secretary-General's statement at the closing of the UN Climate Change Conference COP28

“The era of fossil fuels must end – and it must end with justice and equity.”

UN Secretary-General's press encounter at COP28

“In our fractured and divided world, COP28 can show that multilateralism remains our best hope to tackle global challenges.”

Secretary-General's remarks to roundtable on report of High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero

“The report by my High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero, so well represented here, provides a blueprint for credible climate action by non-state actors that aligns with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Early Warnings for All event at COP28

"In a world defined by escalating climate injustices, early warning systems are the most basic tool for saving lives and securing livelihoods.”

Secretary-General's remarks at Global Climate Action High Level Event: Towards a Turning Point for Climate Action

“Let’s deliver the renewable, sustainable and equitable future people and planet deserve.”

Secretary-General's remarks to G77+China COP28 Leaders' Summit

“This COP can win with a double objective: maximum ambition on mitigation and maximum ambition in relation to climate justice, namely taking into full account the interests of developing countries.”

Secretary-General's remarks at High-Level meeting of the Landlocked Developing Countries

“Together, we can lay the foundation for a more resilient and sustainable future for over 500 million people of landlocked developing countries, leaving no one behind.”

UN Secretary-General's remarks to "Call of the Mountains: who saves us from the climate crisis?" organized by the Prime Minister of Nepal

“The mountains are issuing a distress call. COP28 must respond with a rescue plan”

UN Secretary-General's remarks to the Local Climate Action Summit

“Let’s stand as one — and work as one — to protect all communities from the climate crisis, and spur the renewable, sustainable and equitable future people and planet deserve.”

UN Secretary-General's remarks at opening of World Climate Action Summit

“We are miles from the goals of the Paris Agreement – and minutes to midnight for the 1.5-degree limit. But it is not too late. We can - you can - prevent planetary crash and burn.”

Secretary-General's video message to the WMO “State of the Global Climate 2023” Report launch

“We need leaders to fire the starting gun at COP28 on a race to keep the 1.5 degree limit alive.”

Secretary-General's press encounter on Climate (and situation in the Middle East)

“Leaders must not let the hopes of people around the world for a sustainable planet melt away. They must make COP28 count.”

Secretary-General's video message to the 18th Climate Change Conference of Youth

“I am proud to stand in solidarity with you ahead of this vital COP. Young people are the climate fighters our world needs.”

Secretary-General's message on World Sustainable Transport Day

“I am convinced humanity is up to the challenge of breaking our addiction to climate-killing fossil fuels, and creating resilient, efficient and low-carbon transportation systems grounded in innovative renewable energy sources.”

Secretary-General's video message from Antarctica

“So as leaders gather for COP28, my message is clear: Break this cycle. And act now to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, protect people from climate chaos, and end the fossil fuel age.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels

“By moving at jet speed, you can speed-up the clean energy revolution our world needs.”

Secretary-General's press conference on UNEP Emissions Gap Report Launch

“We know it is still possible to make the 1.5 degree limit a reality. And we know how to get there – we have roadmaps from the International Energy Agency and the IPCC.”

Secretary-General's Message - UNFCCC NDC Synthesis Report Launch

“Governments must come together to line up the necessary finance, support and partnerships to increase ambition in their national climate plans and swiftly put those plans into action. And developed countries must rebuild trust by delivering on their finance commitments.”

Secretary-General's video message for the Paris Peace Forum - “Seeking common ground in a world of rivalry”

“Seeking common ground means cutting emissions and ensuring climate justice for those who did least to cause this crisis but are paying the highest price – starting at the COP28.”

Secretary-General's message on UNEP Production Gap Report Launch

“Leaders must act now to save humanity from the worst impacts of climate chaos, and profit from the extraordinary benefits of renewable energy.”

Secretary-General's video message to the “Confluence Of Conscience: Uniting Faith Leaders For Planetary Resurgence” Conference

“We need your moral voice and spiritual authority to summon the conscience of leaders, awaken their ambition, and inspire them to do what is needed at COP28 to save our one and only home.”

Secretary-General's message on World Tsunami Awareness Day

“On World Tsunami Awareness Day, let us commit to leaving no one behind when a tsunami strikes, and work together to secure a safe, prosperous future for all.”

Secretary-General's message for the Adaptation Gap Report Launch

“Today’s report shows the gap in adaptation funding is the highest ever. The world must take action to close the adaptation gap and deliver climate justice.”

Secretary-General's message on World Cities Day

“Cities are engines of economic growth and innovation that hold the key to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the opening of the Pre-COP28 [as prepared for delivery]

“The solutions are in the hands of us all. What we need is the political will, finance and courage to roll them out at the pace, and at the scale this crisis demands.”

Secretary-General’s video message on Glaciers from the Mount Everest Region

“We must act now to protect people on the frontline and to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, to avert the worst of climate chaos.”

Secretary-General’s remarks at the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation

“We can turn the infrastructure emergency into an infrastructure opportunity, supercharge the implementation of the sustainable development goals, and deliver hope and progress for billions of people and the planet we share.”

Secretary-General's video message to the UN World Tourism Organisation General Assembly

“The climate crisis is threatening many tourist destinations and the very survival of communities around the world.”

Secretary-General's message on World Food Day

“The sustainable management of water for agriculture and food production is essential to end hunger, achieve the SDGs, and preserve water for future generations.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

“Countries must work to break the cycle of poverty and disaster by honouring the Paris Agreement, striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.”

Secretary-General's Message for World Habitat Day

“On this World Habitat Day, let us pledge to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements for all people, everywhere.”

Secretary-General's video message to the International Climate and Energy Summit

“The Climate Ambition Summit I hosted in New York last month indicated a collective way forward. And it showed that action to meet the 1.5 degree limit is not a dream. It is practical and it is possible.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Leaders' Meeting

“With global action for climate justice and financial justice, we can create the change you need. The United Nations is with you, every step of the way.”

Secretary-General's Closing Remarks at the Climate Ambition Summit

“This started as the Climate Ambition Summit and I believe it ends as the Climate Hope Summit.”

Secretary-General's opening remarks at the Climate Ambition Summit

“We can still limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees. We can still build a world of clear air, green jobs, and affordable clean power for all.”

Secretary-General's address to the General Assembly

“One Summit will not change the world. But today can be a powerful moment to generate momentum”

Secretary-General's remarks to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

“We must end the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Opening of the SDG Action Weekend

“The SDGs are not about checking boxes. They’re about the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people and the health of our natural environment.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the G77 & China Summit

“We need action now. We need action today.”

Secretary-General's Press Conference - prior to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly

“My appeal to world leaders will be clear: This is not a time for posturing or positioning. This is not a time for indifference or indecision. This is a time to come together for real, practical solutions.”

Secretary-General's video message to the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms

“Together, we can help to calm the storms, and build a safer, healthier, more sustainable world for us all.”

Secretary-General's press conference at G20

“I have come to the G20 with a simple but urgent appeal: we cannot go on like this. We must come together and act together for the common good. ”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

“Our air is a common good and a common responsibility. Let’s work together to clean it up, protect our health, and leave a healthy planet for generations to come.”

Secretary-General's message on the Hottest Summer on Record

“Surging temperatures demand a surge in action. Leaders must turn up the heat now for climate solutions.”

Secretary-General's remarks at African Climate Summit

“Renewable energy could be the African miracle, but we must make it happen.”

Secretary-General's video message to the African Youth Climate Assembly

“The passion and determination of young people around the world is responsible for much of the climate action that we have seen. You are what climate leadership looks like.”

Secretary-General's message on International Youth Day

“From innovative sustainable technologies and renewable energy, to revolutions in transportation systems and industrial activity, young people must be equipped with skills and knowledge to shape a cleaner, greener, more climate resilient future.”

Secretary-General's press conference - on climate

“We must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition. And accelerate climate action – now.”

UN Secretary-General's remarks to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment

“We need food systems that can help end the senseless war on our planet. Food systems transformation is fundamental to reducing carbon emissions and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ remarks at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council: Adverse impact of climate change on the full realization of the right to food

“Addressing climate change is a human rights issue. And the world demands action, now.”

Secretary-General's video message to the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee

“This meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee is a chance to steer us towards a clean, prosperous future for the industry – and a safer future for humanity.”

Secretary-General's remarks at Sciences Po University

“Sound the alarm. Stand up for each other and our planet, and human rights.”

Secretary-General remarks at the Paris Summit on a New Global Financing Pact

“I have proposed an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion US dollars per year for investments in sustainable development and climate action.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the Intergov. Conference on an INT'L Legally Binding Instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

“By acting to counter threats to our planet that go beyond national boundaries, you are demonstrating that global threats deserve global action.”

Secretary-General's press conference - on Climate

“I call on all fossil fuel companies to present credible, comprehensive and detailed new transition plans – fully in line with all the recommendations of my High-level Expert Group on net zero pledges.”

Secretary-General's opening remarks at press briefing on Policy Brief on Information Integrity on Digital Platforms

“The proliferation of hate and lies in the digital space is causing grave global harm – now. It is fueling conflict, death and destruction – now. It is threatening democracy and human rights – now. It is undermining public health and climate action – now.”

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the Member States Briefing on the Climate Ambition Summit [as prepared for delivery]

“We hope and expect that your leaders, the private sector, and civil society organizations, will come to the Summit with credible and ambitious actions and commitments.”

Secretary-General's message on World Oceans Day 2023

“Human-induced climate change is heating our planet, disrupting weather patterns and ocean currents, and altering marine ecosystems and the species living there.”

Secretary-General's message on World Environment Day

“Plastic is made from fossil fuels – the more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worse we make the climate crisis. But we have solutions.”

Secretary-General's video message to the UN HABITAT Assembly

“Multilateralism must support cities to take action on climate, advance access to affordable housing, and deliver the local initiatives needed to make the SDGs a reality.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day for Biological Diversity

“Last year’s agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked an important step – but now is the time to move from agreement to action.”

Secretary-General’s video message to the G7 Summit

“Climate action is working – but we are clearly off track. The Acceleration Agenda I proposed aims to make up for lost time.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Austrian World Summit

“On climate, we have all the tools we need to get the job done. But if we waste time, we will be out of time.”

Secretary-General's video message to the 8th Wildland Fire Conference

“But by working together, we can build a safer, more sustainable, and more resilient world for all."

Secretary-General's video message to the Petersberg Climate Dialogue

“We must act on science, facts and truth."

Secretary-General's remarks at the TIME CO2 Earth Awards

“People power is renewable energy that can move the dial."

Secretary-General's remarks to launch the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report

"The agreements reached in 2015 in New York, Addis and Paris stand for peace and prosperity, people and planet. That promise is now in peril."

Secretary-General's message on International Mother Earth Day

“This Earth Day, I urge people everywhere to raise your voices – in your schools, workplaces and faith communities, and on social media platforms – and demand leaders make peace with nature."

Secretary-General's video message to the Major Economies Forum

“The science is clear: new fossil fuel projects are entirely incompatible with 1.5 degrees."

Secretary-General's remarks at Opening Ceremony of the 22nd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

"Indigenous Peoples hold many of the solutions to the climate crisis and are guardians of the world’s biodiversity… We have so much to learn from their wisdom, knowledge, leadership, experience, and example."

Secretary-General's remarks to the General Assembly on the request of an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change

“The climate crisis can only be overcome through cooperation – between peoples, cultures, nations, generations."

Secretary-General's video message to the Economist Impact's 8th Annual Sustainability Week

“We have never been better equipped to solve the climate challenge – but we must move into high gear now."

Secretary-General's remarks at the United Nations Water Conference

“Now is the moment for game-changing commitments to bring the Water Action Agenda to life."

Secretary-General's video message for press conference to launch the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

“We have never been better equipped to solve the climate challenge – but we must move into warp speed climate action now."

Secretary-General's video message to the 58th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

“The facts are not in question. But our actions are."

UN Secretary-General's remarks to the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council

“Fossil fuel producers and their financiers must understand one simple truth: pursuing mega-profits when so many people are losing their lives and rights, now and in the future, is totally unacceptable."

ASG Hart’s Remarks to the Global Engagement Summit

“We must act now. The time for excuses, delayed action and incrementalism is over."

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks to the Oslo Energy Forum [as prepared for delivery]

“Above all, we must focus on two urgent outcomes: cutting emissions and achieving climate justice."

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council Debate on "Sea-level Rise: Implications for International Peace and Security"

“Sea-level rise is not only a threat in itself. It is a threat-multiplier."

Secretary-General's briefing to the General Assembly on Priorities for 2023

“We need a renewables revolution, not a self-destructive fossil fuel resurgence."

Secretary-General's remarks at the World Economic Forum

“Today, fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production, knowing full well that this business model is inconsistent with human survival."

Secretary-General's video message to the 13th session of the IRENA Assembly: “World Energy Transition – The Global Stocktake”

“If we are to avert climate catastrophe, renewables are the only credible path forward."

Secretary-General's remarks at the International Conference on a Climate Resilient Pakistan

“Words are not enough. Without action, climate catastrophe is coming for all of us."

Secretary-General's remarks at End-of-Year Press Conference

“The global emissions gap is growing. The 1.5-degree goal is gasping for breath. National climate plans are falling woefully short. And yet, we are not retreating. We are fighting back."

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the High-Level Segment of COP-15

“Together we can protect the web of life that makes our planet unique — and ensure that humanity prospers in harmony with nature."

Secretary-General's opening remarks at Press Stakeout at COP15 Biodiversity Conference in Montreal

“Climate action and protection of biodiversity are two sides of the same coin."

Secretary-General's remarks at the UN Biodiversity Conference — COP15

“Together, let’s adopt and deliver an ambitious framework — a peace pact with nature — and pass on a better, greener, bluer and more sustainable world to our children."

Secretary-General's statement at the conclusion of COP27

“Together, let’s not relent in the fight for climate justice and climate ambition. We can and must win this battle for our lives." 

Secretary-General's remarks at COP27 stakeout

“The world is watching and has a simple message to all of us: stand and deliver. Deliver the kind of meaningful climate action that people and planet so desperately need.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the G20 session on food and energy crises [as delivered]

“There is no way we can defeat climate change without a Climate Solidarity Pact between developed countries and large emerging economies. […] The Just Energy Transition Partnerships are an important first step.”

Opening remarks of the Secretary-General at press conference at G20 Summit

“The goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is slipping away. We are dangerously close to tipping points at which climate chaos could become irreversible. Science tells us that global heating beyond that limit poses an existential threat to all life on earth. But global emissions, and temperatures, continue to rise.”

Secretary-General's remarks at launch of Al Gore's Climate TRACE initiative

“We have huge emissions gaps, finance gaps, adaptation gaps. But those gaps cannot be effectively addressed without plugging the data gaps. After all, it is impossible to effectively manage and control what we cannot measure.”

Secretary-General's remarks at launch of report of High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments [as delivered]

“Calling the new report of his independent Net-zero Expert Group on Emissions Commitments “a how-to guide to ensure credible, accountable net-zero pledges,” the Secretary-General today stressed that “using bogus ‘net-zero’ pledges to cover up massive fossil fuel expansion is reprehensible.”

Secretary-General's remarks at joint press encounter with Prime Minister of Pakistan

“There are moments in our life that become unforgettable and that mark us deeply. My last visit to Pakistan was one of these moments. To see an area flooded that is three times the size of my country, Portugal. To see the loss of life, the loss of crops, the loss of livelihoods.”

Secretary-General’s remarks at the launch of early warning for all executive action plan

“Universal early warning coverage can save lives and deliver huge financial benefits. Just 24 hours’ notice of an impending hazardous event can cut damage by 30 per cent. And yet, around the world, vulnerable communities have no way of knowing that hazardous weather is on its way.”

Secretary-General's remarks to High-Level opening of COP27

“The science is clear: any hope of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees means achieving global net zero emissions by 2050.”

Secretary-General’s message at the launch of the Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022

“As COP27 gets underway, our planet is sending a distress signal. The latest State of the Global Climate report is a chronicle of climate chaos.”

Secretary-General’s message at the launch of UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report

“Today’s UNEP Adaptation Gap report makes clear that the world is failing to protect people from the here-and-now impacts of the climate crisis.”

Secretary-General's video message on the Release of the United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report

"Commitments to net zero are worth zero without the plans, policies and actions to back it up. Our world cannot afford any more greenwashing, fake movers or late movers."

Message on lancet countdown: tracking progress on health and climate change

"The science is clear: massive, common-sense investments in renewable energy and climate resilience will secure a healthier, safer life for people in every country."

"People need adequate warning to prepare for extreme weather events. That is why I am calling for universal early warning coverage in the next five years. Early warning systems – and the ability to act on them -- are proven lifesavers."

Secretary-General letter to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

“The COVID-19 pandemic, impacts of the war in Ukraine seen in the rising cost of living and tightening financial conditions and unsustainable debt burdens, along with the escalating climate emergency, are wreaking havoc on economies across the globe.”

Secretary-General's remarks at press encounter on Pre-Cop27

"Starting today, government representatives are meeting in Kinshasa for the critical pre-COP that will set the stage. The work ahead is immense. As immense as the climate impacts we are seeing around the world."

Secretary-General's message on World Habitat Day

"On World Habitat Day, let us pledge to live up to our shared responsibility to one another."

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at pre-COP27 discussions

"We need progress at COP27. Progress that shows that leaders fully comprehend the scale of the emergency we face and the value of COP, as a space where world leaders come together to solve problems and take responsibility."

Secretary-General's video message to Countdown to COP15: Leaders Event for a Nature-Positive World

"Today’s suicidal war on nature will have devastating consequences for us all. It is fueling the climate crisis, driving species to extinction, and destroying ecosystems. It is making growing areas of our planet inhospitable, driving conflict and pandemics, and jeopardizing our Sustainable Development Goals."

UN Secretary-General's Address to the General Assembly [Trilingual]

"Polluters must pay. Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies. Those funds should be re-directed in two ways: to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices."

UN Secretary-General’s message at launch of the United in Science Report

"This year’s United in Science report shows climate impacts heading into uncharted territories of destruction. Yet each year we double-down on this fossil fuel addiction, even as the symptoms get rapidly worse."

Time to make good on adaptation promises

“Now is the time for solidarity and keeping the promise to humankind while protecting our planet,” said Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed at the Africa Adaptation Finance Forum in the lead-up to COP27, calling on developed countries to step up funding for the most vulnerable countries to adapt to the worsening climate impacts.

UN Secretary-General remarks at One Billion Tree campaign planting event

"My generation declared war on nature - with climate change with the loss of biodiversity, with pollution. Nature is striking back. Striking back with storms, with desertification with floods, with disasters that are making life very difficult for many people around the world and causing many victims."

UN Secretary-General’s remarks to the press in Japan

"We need solidarity to combat the climate crisis. Japan itself is seeing the consequences of our exploitation of fossil fuels, with an unusual stretch of extreme heat earlier this year, followed by torrential rain."

UN Secretary-General launches the Global Crisis Response Group’s latest brief on the global energy crisis

"I urge people everywhere to send a clear message to the fossil fuel industry and their financiers that this grotesque greed is punishing the poorest and most vulnerable people, while destroying our only common home, the planet."

Secretary-General's video message to the Petersberg Dialogue

“This has to be the decade of decisive climate action. That means trust, multilateralism and collaboration. We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the opening of the 2022 High-level Segment of ECOSOC, Ministerial Segment of High-Level Political Forum

“Ending the global addiction to fossil fuels through a renewable energy revolution is priority number one.”

UN Secretary-General's remarks at the 43rd Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Conference

“The Caribbean is ground zero for the global climate emergency.”

UN Secretary-General's opening remarks to United Nations Ocean Conference

“Sustainable ocean management could help the ocean produce as much as six times more food and generate 40 times more renewable energy than it currently does.”

UN Secretary-General's virtual remarks to Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate

“Renewables not only fight the climate crisis, they support energy security. The time for hedging bets has ended. The world has gambled on fossil fuels and lost.”

UN Secretary-General’s video message to the 6th Austrian World Summit

“New funding for fossil fuel exploration and production infrastructure is delusional. I repeat my call for G20 governments to dismantle coal infrastructure, with a full phase-out by 2030 for OECD countries and 2040 for all others.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Stockholm+50 international meeting

“Let us recommit – in words and deeds – to the spirit of responsibility enshrined in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration.”

Remarks of Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, Selwin Hart, to the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit

“With just six months until COP27 in Egypt, the world is way off track to meet our collective goals on mitigation, finance and adaptation. We have less than a decade to reverse course.”

“Let us make sure our leaders bring the ambition and action needed to address our triple planetary emergency. Because we have only one Mother Earth. We must do everything we can to protect her.”

Secretary-General's video message on the launch of the third IPCC report

“Demand that renewable energy is introduced now – at speed and at scale. Demand an end to coal-fired power. Demand an end to all fossil fuel subsidies.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the launch of the the High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities

“If we don’t see significant and sustained emissions reductions this decade, the window of opportunity to keep 1.5 alive will be closed – and closed forever.”

Secretary-General's message on World Meteorological Day

“Today I announce the United Nations will spearhead new action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years.”

“On this World Water Day, let us commit to intensifying collaboration among sectors and across borders so we can sustainably balance the needs of people and nature and harness groundwater for current and future generations.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Forests

“On this International Day of Forests, let us recommit to healthy forests for healthier livelihoods.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Economist Sustainability Summit

“Instead of hitting the brakes on the decarbonization of the global economy, now is the time to put the pedal to the metal towards a renewable energy future.”

“On this World Wildlife Day let us commit to preserving our invaluable and irreplaceable wildlife for the benefit and delight of current and future generations.”

Secretary-General's video message to UNEP@50: Special Session of the UN Environment Assembly

“UNEP's science, policy work, coordination and advocacy has helped to right environmental wrongs around the world and raise awareness of the importance of the environmental dimension of sustainable development.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Press Conference Launch of IPCC Report

“Every fraction of a degree matters. Every voice can make a difference. And every second counts.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Club de Lisboa conference: "Energizing the World while preserving the planet"

“Every country must strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions until they collectively deliver the 45 per cent emissions reduction needed by 2030.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the General Assembly on his Priorities for 2022

“The battle to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive will be won or lost in this decade.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the World Economic Forum [as delivered]

“Turning this ship around will take immense willpower and ingenuity from governments and businesses alike, in every major-emitting nation.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Twelfth Session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

“By investing in a renewable energy future, we can support pandemic recovery and build resilient societies and sustainable and inclusive economies.”

Closing remarks by Collen Kelapile, President of ECOSOC, at the briefing on the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26)

“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a roadmap to pursue climate action and sustainable development in an integrated, inclusive and resilient manner.”

Opening remarks by Collen Kelapile, President of ECOSOC, at the briefing on the outcomes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26)

“The Glasgow Climate Pact to keep global warming to 1.5C and the other important commitments are a sign of progress.”

Secretary-General's remarks at Security Council debate on Security in the Context of Terrorism and Climate Change

“Climate impacts compound conflicts and exacerbate fragility.”

Secretary-General's statement on the conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26

“Success or failure is not an act of nature. It’s in our hands.”

Patricia Espinosa: COP26 Reaches Consensus on Key Actions to Address Climate Change

“For every announcement made, we look forward to both firm plans and the fine print.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Global Climate Action High-Level Event - as delivered

“Only together can we keep 1.5 degrees within reach and the equitable and resilient world we need.”

Secretary-General's video message for the Caring for Climate High-Level Meeting

“Private sector finance must be aligned with a credible net-zero, resilient and sustainable development pathway.”

Delivered remarks of Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, Selwin Hart, to Powering the World Past Coal event at COP26

“We now need all G20 countries to commit to phase-out coal based on the science. OECD countries by 2030, and globally by 2040.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Climate Vulnerable Forum Leaders Dialogue [as delivered]

“Every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the World Leaders Summit - COP 26 [as delivered]

“We must listen — and we must act — and we must choose wisely.”

Secretary-General's video message to the 16th Conference of Youth (COY) of UNFCCC COP26

“I will continue to call on every country to ensure young people have a seat at the climate decision making table.”

Opening remarks at the launch of the Emissions Gap 2021 Report press conference

“The time for closing the leadership gap must begin in Glasgow.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the High-Level Meeting on Delivering Climate Action - for People, Planet & Prosperity

“We need decarbonization now, across every sector in every country.”

Deputy Secretary-General remarks at the Middle East Green Initiative Summit 2021

“We need to urgently peak, reduce, and stabilize global green-house gas emissions to Net Zero by 2050.”

UN Secretary-General's video remarks to World Bank/IMF Event on Making Climate Action Count

“As COP26 approaches, it is essential for all humanity that we fulfil the promise of the Paris Agreement.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Second Global Sustainable Transport Conference [as delivered]

“We must act together, smartly, and quickly, to make the next nine years count.”

Secretary-General's video message to Leaders Summit of the UN Biodiversity Conference

“Ecosystem collapse could cost almost three trillion US dollars annually by 2030.”

Secretary-General's message on World Habitat Day 2021

“On World Habitat Day, let us work together to harness the transformative potential of sustainable urban action for the benefit of our planet and all people.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the UNCTAD 15 Opening Ceremony

“We need to turn this around with a bold, sustainable and inclusive global recovery.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Pre-COP26

“It is essential for all humanity that we fulfil the promise of the Paris Agreement.”

Secretary-General’s Video Message to Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition (Pre-COP Youth Event)

“We need young people everywhere to keep raising your voices.”

Opening remarks to High-level Dialogue on Energy

“Investing in clean, affordable energy for all will improve the well-being of billions of people.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the Food Systems Summit

“We must build a world where healthy and nutritious food is available and affordable for everyone, everywhere.”

Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council High-level Open Debate on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Climate and Security

“Much bolder climate action is needed ahead of COP 26 – with G20 nations in the lead – to maintain international peace and security.”

Statement by the Secretary-General on the announcements by the United States and China on climate action

“All countries must bring their highest level of ambition to Glasgow if we are to keep the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement within reach.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the media following the Informal Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action

“Governments must shift subsidies away from fossil fuels and progressively phase out coal use.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate [as delivered]

“We need more ambition on finance, adaptation and mitigation.”

Statement by the Secretary-General on the report by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

“The fight against climate change will only succeed if everyone comes together to promote more ambition, more cooperation and more credibility.”

Secretary-General's message on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

“The Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment show us that by acting together, anything is possible.”

Secretary-General's video message to the media on the launch of United in Science Climate Report

“We need all countries to present more ambitious and achievable Nationally Determined Contributions.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the High-Level Dialogue of the Americas on Climate Action

“We need a breakthrough on adaptation and resilience.”

Deputy Secretary-General's video message for the High-Level Dialogue “Adaptation Acceleration Imperative for COP26” - as convened by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)

“The IPCC findings provide irrefutable evidence that billions of lives are at risk unless we rapidly cut emissions.”

Secretary-General's statement on the IPCC Working Group 1 Report on the Physical Science Basis of the Sixth Assessment

“As today’s report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses.”

Statement by the Secretary-General on the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Climate and Energy

“With less than 100 days left before COP 26, I urge all G20 and other leaders to commit to net zero by mid-century, present more ambitious 2030 national climate plans and deliver on concrete policies and actions aligned with a net zero future.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Third G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

“The G20 must set ambitious, clear and credible climate policies.”

Secretary-General's video remarks at launch of the First Hydromet Gap Report

“It presents the challenges of the complex global and local undertaking required for effective weather and climate forecast services and it proposes priority solutions to scale up hydromet development.”

Secretary-General's video message to the First Climate Vulnerable Finance Summit

“Developing countries need reassurance that their ambition will be met with much-needed financial and technical support.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Austria World Summit

“All plans and initiatives must be ambitious, credible and verifiable.”

Secretary-General's virtual Press Conference at the G7 Summit

“In the developing world, people are already suffering and need support to build resilience.”

Secretary-General's closing remarks to Insurance Development Forum

“Investments should not be contributing to climate pollution but should be directed towards climate solutions.”

“The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global call to action. Everyone can contribute.”

Secretary-General's video remarks to Clean Energy Ministerial meeting

“This decade must also be when renewable energy overtakes fossil fuels.”

Secretary-General's video message to the Partnering for Green Growth Summit

“Tackling climate change head-on will help protect the most vulnerable people from the next crisis while sustaining a job-rich recovery from the pandemic.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Global Roundtable on Transforming Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development [as delivered]

“All public and private finance in the extractives sector should be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.”

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at G7 Climate and Environment Ministerial Meeting [as delivered]

“The G7 holds great sway to ensure that 2021 is a pivotal year for people and planet.”

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the "Petersberg Climate Dialogue in New York" Event

“We have six months to deliver concrete results at COP26 and find a balanced and ambitious package on mitigation, adaptation and finance.”

Secretary-General's remarks at 2021 Petersberg Climate Dialogue [as delivered]

“We have six months until COP26. We must make them count.”

Secretary-General's statement at the Conclusion of the Opening Session of the Leaders Summit on Climate

“I welcome the announcement of new and enhanced nationally determined contributions.”

Secretary-General's video message on International Mother Earth Day 2021

“Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is a chance to set the world on a cleaner, greener, more sustainable path.”

Opening remarks at press conference to launch the "State of the Global Climate in 2020 Report"

“We need radical changes from all financial institutions, public and private, to ensure that they fund sustainable and resilient development for all.”

UN Secretary-General's remarks to Meeting with Leading Mayors Supported by C40 Cities: “Advancing a Carbon-Neutral, Resilient Recovery for Cities and Nations”

“Cities are already succeeding on climate action. The challenge is to speed up, and scale up.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the Leaders' Dialogue on the Africa COVID-Climate Emergency: Delivering the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme

“We can provide universal access to energy in Africa primarily through renewable energy.”

Deputy Secretary-General's opening remarks at Climate and Development Ministerial Meeting [as prepared for delivery]

“We must deliver concrete action now to protect the most vulnerable from more severe and frequent climate impacts.”

Secretary-General's video message for Earth Hour 2021

“The United Nations is proud to join in the global effort to mark Earth Hour. It’s a reminder that small actions can make a big difference.”

Secretary-General's video remarks to the 2021 Ministerial on Climate Action, convened by China-EU-Canada

“Together, we must support the communities that are affected, through a just transition that provides decent jobs and a clean environment.”

Secretary-General's video message to Powering Past Coal Alliance Summit

“Phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important step to get in line with the 1.5 degree goal.”

Secretary-General’s statement on the UNFCCC Initial Nationally Determined Contributions Synthesis Report

“2021 is a make or break year to confront the global climate emergency.”

Secretary-General's message marking Second Anniversary of Costa Rica National Decarbonization Plan

“As we strive to expand this coalition, the international community must also turn those pledges into concrete plans.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on addressing climate-related security risks to international peace and security through mitigation and resilience building

“We need to embrace a concept of security that puts people at its centre.”

Secretary-General's remarks to event marking the United States rejoining the Paris Agreement

“Today is a day of hope, as the United States officially rejoins the Paris Agreement. This is good news for the United States — and for the world.”

Secretary-General's Remarks at briefing to Member States by incoming COP26 President

“We need every voice at the table. As we collectively address our climate emergency, no voice, and no solution, should be left behind.”

Secretary-General's Remarks to Member States on Priorities for 2021

“Let’s keep building the global coalition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Secretary-General's special address at Davos Agenda

“We need you more than ever to help us change course, end fragility, avert climate catastrophe and build the equitable and sustainable future we want and we need.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the Climate Adaptation Summit

“Adaptation cannot be the neglected half of the climate equation.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the COP26 Roundtable on Clean Power Transition

“We must invest in a future of affordable renewable energy for all people, everywhere.”

Secretary-General's remarks to the One Planet Summit

“2021 must be the year to reconcile humanity with nature.”

Secretary-General's remarks at the Climate Ambition Summit

“Climate action is the barometer of leadership in today’s world. It is what people and planet need at this time.”

Secretary-General's address at Columbia University: "The State of the Planet"

“Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.”

Secretary-General's remarks on Climate Action to European Council on Foreign Relations

“It is essential that the European Union commits to reducing emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. The Climate Ambition Summit on the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement represents a clear opportunity for the EU to present its more ambitious climate plan.”

Secretary-General's remarks to Youth4Climate Virtual Event

“Major and rapid change is exactly what we need in the fight against climate disruption. And no group is more effective in pushing leaders to change course than you.”

Secretary-General's video message for "Finance in Common" Summit

“The decisions we make now will determine the course of the next 30 years and beyond: Emissions must fall by half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050 to reach the 1.5C goal.”

Secretary-General's remarks at Paris Peace Forum [as prepared for delivery; scroll down for English version]

“2021 must be the year of a leap forward towards carbon neutrality.”

Secretary-General's video message to Green Horizon Summit

“All governments, cities, financial institutions and private businesses must establish their transition plans for net zero emissions by 2050 and start with concrete policies now. Together we can achieve carbon neutrality for a sustainable future.”

Secretary-General's video message for Climate Action Network: ‘World We Want' Public Mobilization Campaign

“There is much work ahead for the global community to build greater climate justice and resilience, as we strive for net-zero emissions by 2050. But I remain optimistic.”

Secretary-General's video remarks to Climate Vulnerable Forum

“All countries are threatened by climate change, but some are more vulnerable than others.”

Secretary-General's video message to Daring Cities Virtual Forum: Urban Leaders and Climate Change

“We need cities to commit to net zero emissions before 2050, and a 45 per cent reduction by 2030.”

Secretary-General's remarks to High-level Roundtable on Climate Ambition

“The climate emergency is fully upon us, and we have no time to waste. The answer to our existential crisis is swift, decisive, scaled up action and solidarity among nations.”

19th Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture "The Rise of Renewables: Shining a Light on a Sustainable Future

“As governments mobilize trillions of dollars to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, their decisions will have climate consequences for decades.”

Remarks to International Energy Agency Clean Energy Transition Summit

"It is vital that we bring sharper focus on the need to transition away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future."

Remarks on World Oceans Day

"We have a responsibility to correct our relationship with the oceans."

Opening remarks at virtual press briefing from UN Headquarters

"Recovery needs to go hand-in-hand with climate action."

Remarks to Petersberg Climate Dialogue

"Delayed climate action will cost us vastly more each year in terms of lost lives and livelihoods, crippled businesses and damaged economies."

Opening remarks at press conference on WMO State of the Climate 2019 Report

"We have no time to lose if we are to avert climate catastrophe."

Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks at the New School: "Women and Power"

"Gender equality, including men stepping up and taking responsibility, is essential if we are to beat the climate emergency."

Remarks on Sustainable Development and Climate Change

"The answer to the global climate crisis will come from global solidarity backed by global action."

Remarks at the 33rd African Union Summit

"Africa is the least responsible for climate disruption yet is among the first and worst to suffer."

Opening remarks to the media at the African Union Summit

"Global commitment is needed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, including by the big emitters."

Remarks to Group of Friends on Climate

"Climate action will be both a priority and a driver of the Decade of Action"

Remarks at COP25 event on Climate Action for Jobs

"The green economy is the economy of the future and we need to make way for it right now."

Remarks at COP25 event on Climate Ambition

"We need more ambition, more solidarity and more urgency."

Remarks at High-Level Event on Caring for Climate at COP25

"Let’s make 2020 the year we put the world for a carbon-neutral future"

Press Conference with the Prime Minister of Spain

"There is still a long way to go and we are still running behind climate change."

Remarks at opening ceremony of UN Climate Change Conference COP25

"The decisions we make here will ultimately define whether we choose a path of hope, or a path of surrender..."

Pre-COP25 press conference

"Our war against nature must stop. And we know that that is possible."

Remarks at the closing of High-Level Political Dialogue of the Pacific Island Forum

"What we ask for is not solidarity, it’s not generosity, it is enlightened self-interest from all decision-makers around the world."

Remarks at the Pacific Islands Forum

"We have the blueprints, the frameworks and the plans. What we need is urgency, political will and ambition."

Opening remarks at press encounter with James Shaw, New Zealand Minister for Climate Change

"[M]ove taxes from salaries to carbon [...] subsidies for fossil fuels must end [...] stop the construction of coal power plants from 2020 onwards"

Remarks to Māori and Pasifika youth at event hosted by James Shaw, New Zealand Minister for Climate Change

"[T]he green economy is the economy of the future and the grey economy has no future"

Secretary-General's remarks at High-Level Meeting on Climate and Sustainable Development

"We have the tools to answer the questions posed by climate change, environmental pressure, poverty and inequality."

Secretary-General's remarks at the closing of the High-Level Segment of the Talanoa Dialogue, COP24

"We no longer have the luxury of time."

Secretary-General's remarks on the 2019 Climate Summit

"The Paris Agreement is not a piece of paper."

Secretary-General's remarks at the opening of the COP 24

"Science demands a significantly more ambitious response."

Remarks at High-Level Event on Climate Change

"Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is still possible and will prevent some of the worst-case scenarios."

Remarks at First General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance

"The Climate Summit will provide an opportunity for leaders and stakeholders, both public and private, to demonstrate real climate action and showcase their ambition."

"Climate change is indeed running faster than we are, and we have the risk to see irreversible damage that will not be possible to recover if we don’t act very, very quickly."

Remarks on Climate Change

"The Climate Summit will provide an opportunity for leaders and partners to demonstrate real climate action and showcase their ambition"

Remarks at launch of the New Climate Economy report

"Over 250 investors with $28 trillion dollars in managed assets have signed on to the Climate Action 100+ initiative"

Facts and figures

• What is climate change?
• Causes and effects
• Myth busters

Cutting emissions

• Explaining net zero
• High-level expert group on net zero
• Checklists for credibility of net-zero pledges
• Greenwashing
• What you can do

Clean energy

• Renewable energy – key to a safer future
• What is renewable energy
• Five ways to speed up the energy transition
• Why invest in renewable energy
• Clean energy stories
• A just transition

Adapting to climate change

• Climate adaptation
• Early warnings for all
• Youth voices

Financing climate action

• Finance and justice
• Loss and damage
• $100 billion commitment
• Why finance climate action
• Biodiversity
• Human Security

International cooperation

• What are Nationally Determined Contributions
• Acceleration Agenda
• Climate Ambition Summit
• Climate conferences (COPs)
• Youth Advisory Group
• Action initiatives
• Secretary-General’s speeches
• Press material
• Fact sheets
• Communications tips

• Mideast News
• Art&Culture
• ynetespanol
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Researchers discover giant viruses on Greenland ice sheet, potentially slowing ice melt

Viruses believed to potentially control algae blooms by infecting and consuming snow algae, acting as natural control mechanism and slowing down ice melt.