‘Tell the truth’: Guterres’ advice to his successor as he urges urgent climate action before leaving UN

New Delhi: The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has urged world leaders to take urgent action against climate change. He warned that the world is at a “moment of truth” as COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, begins in Türkiye on Monday. He said countries can no longer delay action or shift responsibility to others.

The conference, which will run from November 9 to 20, comes amid rising temperatures and severe weather, including heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts. Concerns have been compounded by El Niño, a natural climate pattern that affects weather worldwide.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Guterres reflected on his decade at the United Nations. He discussed the challenge of persuading governments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. His second and final term as secretary general ends on December 31, 2026.

Guterres recalled one of the most difficult moments of his tenure. Last year, scientists told him that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels was no longer achievable. The target is central to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

He said the news came as a shock, because he had continued to argue that the target could still be met. Guterres blamed political leaders for failing to make the long-term investments needed to address climate change.

But he pointed to the growth of wind and solar energy as a reason for hope. He also warned that wars, energy insecurity and artificial intelligence were adding to the climate challenge. These systems require large amounts of electricity and water and contribute to carbon emissions.

Guterres also recalled his 2023 visit to Nepal, where he warned about retreating glaciers and the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and landslides. He said the disasters came sooner than he had expected.

Floods in August killed more than 1,400 people, and another 5,600 were missing, according to the report. Scientists said climate change played a role.

Guterres called for taxes on the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies. He said the revenue should support countries facing severe climate impacts. He argued that vulnerable nations should not bear the cost of a crisis they did little to create.

Guterres’ decade at the United Nations

Guterres took office in January 2017 and will leave the UN after nearly a decade as secretary general. He has focused on climate change, humanitarian issues and international cooperation.

A Portuguese politician and diplomat, he was Portugal’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and the UN high commissioner for refugees from 2005 to 2015.

In 2021, he launched “Our Common Agenda” to strengthen international cooperation and speed up progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, as RNA Media reported earlier.

The initiative led to the 2024 Summit of the Future, where member states adopted the Pact for the Future, which also includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations.

The limits of the secretary general’s role

Guterres acknowledged that the secretary general has limited power to make countries act. The role mainly involves supporting talks, coordinating aid and raising concerns. During the interview, he also said that decisions depend on member states, particularly the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which hold vetoes.

As he prepares to leave office, Guterres has offered three words of advice to his successor: “Tell the truth.” The process to choose his replacement is underway, with the Security Council set to recommend a candidate to the General Assembly.

Guterres urged people to take global warming seriously and called it an existential threat to human lives.