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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on countries to act quickly to close the emissions gap, warning that the world can no longer avoid overshooting the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit and that the consequences are already devastating.

Speaking in a video message released ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), set for November in Antalya, and timed to the UN Environment Programme's annual Emissions Gap Report, Guterres said the planet could still bring the temperature rise back below 1.5 degrees before the end of the century, but only with steep and immediate cuts.

Warnings over floods, heatwaves and wildfires

Guterres pointed to deadly floods, extreme heatwaves and severe wildfires around the world as evidence of the damage already unfolding. The climate crisis, Guterres said, is paralyzing economies and deepening inequality, with those least responsible for the problem the first to suffer and suffering the worst.

The secretary-general said global greenhouse gas emissions must fall by 18 percent by 2030 and by 45 percent by 2035 to keep the possibility of returning below 1.5 degrees before the end of the century. "But emissions remain at record levels," Guterres said, adding that national climate plans and current policies fall dangerously short and point to 2.6 to 2.8 degrees of warming.

Emissions gap is now a leadership problem

Despite the current picture, Guterres said the tools to change course exist, noting that solar energy use has grown seven times faster than a decade ago and that climate policies are already delivering results. "The emissions gap is now a leadership problem. The world has neither the time nor the excuses left to close it," Guterres said, urging governments to go much further and move faster.

Guterres called for a shift away from fossil fuels, faster deployment of clean energy in every sector, investment to raise energy efficiency and cuts in methane emissions. Countries with high emissions, including G20 members, should do more, Guterres said, while developing nations need affordable financing to fight the climate crisis and relief from their debt burdens.

"Climate justice demands nothing less. Even a small fraction of a degree matters. Every year of delay makes the path back harder. Let us close this gap now," Guterres said.

UNEP says the turning point begins now

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said in a press statement on the 2026 Emissions Gap Report that the report shows there is no longer a chance of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees, but that the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement must not be abandoned. "We cannot give up," Andersen said, warning that every additional degree and every additional year above 1.5 degrees will intensify climate impacts such as the deadly floods, heatwaves and wildfires hitting countries this year. "This report shows we can still reach the target," Andersen said.

Andersen noted that global renewable electricity capacity has grown three times faster than expected since the Paris Agreement was adopted, that solar installations have risen seven times faster, and that total energy supply from coal and oil has grown more slowly than projected. Progress on fossil fuels remains insufficient, Andersen said, adding that further policy support could change the trajectory. "Countries must understand that the turning point begins now," Andersen said.

Turning to COP31 in Turkey in November, Andersen said countries must scale up their action to get on the lowest possible overshoot pathway beyond 1.5 degrees, and that G20 countries in particular must show greater leadership.

Key takeaways

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world can no longer avoid overshooting the 1.5C warming limit
• Emissions must drop 18 percent by 2030 and 45 percent by 2035 to bring warming back below 1.5C this century
• Current policies point to 2.6 to 2.8 degrees of warming, Guterres warns
• UNEP chief Inger Andersen calls on countries to raise ambition ahead of COP31 in Antalya in November