UN chief warns 'world is watching Belem' as COP30 enters critical phase

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered an urgent plea Thursday to countries at COP30, warning that the world is running out of time to prevent runaway climate effects as he called for bold compromises on adaptation funding, emissions cuts and climate finance.

"One thing is clear: We are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belem. Communities on the frontlines are watching too, counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods ... and asking: how much more must we suffer?" Guterres said at a news conference at the COP30 UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil.

Guterres said after “decades of denial and delay,” science shows a temporary overshoot of the 1.5-degree warming limit is “inevitable,” likely beginning in the early 2030s.

But he emphasized that world leaders still have the power to push temperatures back down later this century, if countries act immediately to make the overshoot “as small, short, and safe as possible.”

Guterres criticized wealthy nations for falling short on their pledge to double adaptation finance this year, calling for a tripling of support by 2030.

“Adaptation is the difference between rebuilding and being swept away,” he said. “For millions, it is about survival, it is about justice.”

Guterres welcomes calls to clarify transition from fossil fuels

The UN chief also urged rapid capitalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, describing it as “open for business but still largely empty.” Indigenous communities, he noted, are among the most vulnerable and central to protecting ecosystems like the Amazon.

Guterres said existing national climate plans put the world on a path “well above 2 degrees,” calling that trajectory “a death sentence for many.” He called for drastic emissions reductions, insisting that countries, especially major emitters, must peak emissions now, cut them in half by 2030, reach net-zero by 2050 and go net-negative thereafter.

He reiterated that the COP28 agreement to transition from fossil fuels must now be operationalized.

"It is a climate necessity, and a test of economic stability, energy security and responsible governance," he said.

Guterres also welcomed calls to ensure a deal clarifies the global transition from fossil fuels.

"I welcome calls for a just transition mechanism and the growing coalition asking for clarity on the transition away from fossil fuels," he said, urging countries to ensure that the Belem outcome operationalizes a just transition that is aligned with a 1.5-degree world.

Over 80 countries have endorsed a call for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.

Before departing for the G20 summit in South Africa, Guterres delivered a direct message to ministers and negotiators at COP30.

"Please engage in good faith to reach an ambitious compromise. 1.5 degrees must be your only red line. This is the hour for leadership. Be bold. Follow the science. Put people above profit. And please keep your eyes on the finish line," he said.

When asked what message he wants the conference to send to US President Donald Trump, Guterres said: "We are waiting for you."

"Hope is the last thing that dies," Guterres said, when asked whether he sees the possibility of Trump engaging in the process in a positive way.

The US has a presence at COP30, even though the Trump administration chose not to dispatch an official delegation to the climate summit in Brazil, which marks the first time since the inaugural COP in 1995.

A group of 100 US leaders, including governors, mayors and senior state and city officials, traveled to Belem as part of the US Climate Alliance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of the most prominent US figures at COP30, criticized Trump for refusing to engage with the summit.