UN Chief: Global Warming Beyond 1.5°C Marks Humanity’s Failure

By Staff, Agencies

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world has failed to keep global heating below 1.5°C, calling the breach of the Paris Agreement "inevitable" and warning of "devastating consequences" for the planet.

In an interview with The Guardian ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, Guterres said the international community must “recognize our failure” and act immediately to minimize the duration and intensity of the temperature overshoot.

“The truth is that we have failed to avoid an overshooting above 1.5°C in the next few years,” Guterres said.

“And that going above 1.5°C has devastating consequences,” the UN Secretary-General added.

Guterres explained that the consequences of this failure may be tipping points in the Amazon, Greenland, western Antarctica, or the coral reefs.

The UN chief stressed that the longer world leaders delay cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the higher the risk of these irreversible environmental tipping points.

“It is absolutely indispensable to change course,” he urged.

“We don’t want to see the Amazon as a savannah. But that is a real risk if we don’t make a dramatic decrease of emissions as soon as possible,” Guterres underscored.

Despite years of international pledges, Guterres said government commitments under the Paris Agreement have been insufficient. Only 62 of 197 signatories have submitted updated climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions [NDCs].

He noted that current pledges would reduce global emissions by just 10%, far below the 60% cut required to stay within the 1.5°C limit.

“Overshooting is now inevitable,” he said.

The Secretary-General called for a rebalancing of representation at UN climate summits, emphasizing that Indigenous and civil society voices must have a stronger presence than corporate lobbyists.

“We all know what the lobbyists want. To increase their profits, with the price being paid by humankind,” he said.

Guterres described Indigenous peoples as “the best guardians of nature,” highlighting their essential role in preserving forests and biodiversity.

“It is fundamental to invest in those who are the best guardians of nature,” he added, calling for greater Indigenous participation in COP30 discussions.

He reiterated that a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity, pointing to the accelerating global shift toward renewable technologies.

“We are seeing a renewables revolution,” Guterres said. “There will be no way for humankind to use all the oil and gas already discovered.”

Guterres confirmed that he plans to raise the issue of Brazil’s new oil exploration permits near the Amazon River with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the summit.

Brazil's COP30 initiative, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, aims to raise $125 billion to preserve forests, with 20% of the funds dedicated to Indigenous communities, who manage key carbon sinks.

Guterres also warned against dismantling international climate mechanisms such as the COP process, saying that abandoning them would lead to chaos and deepen inequality.

“The alternative is a free-for-all,” he said. “There will always be a group of rich people and rich companies that will be able to protect themselves as the planet is being progressively destroyed.”

With next year marking the end of his tenure, Guterres reflected on his time as UN Secretary-General, expressing regret for not prioritizing climate and biodiversity earlier but reaffirming his enduring commitment.

“I will never give up on my commitment to climate action, to biodiversity, to the protection of nature,” he said. “Our most precious possession is our mother nature.”