António Guterres delivered a final warning as outgoing UN secretary general on Friday, telling the Cop31 climate summit that humanity cannot build peace on a burning planet.
Speaking at his final climate press conference in Türkiye, “You cannot eradicate poverty when climate disasters keep throwing people back into it. You cannot promise young people a better future while destroying the natural systems on which that future depends,” outgoing UN secretary general António Guterres said, The Guardian reported.
He leaves office at the end of December, and his successor remains unknown following an intervention by Donald Trump in the selection process, amid widespread fears that the next incumbent will downplay the crisis.
“You cannot build peace on a burning planet,” António Guterres said.
The world is getting hotter, and that’s why what happens at #COP31 matters. As countries gather in Antalya, follow UNEP's Climate Live Feed for the latest science, climate solutions and key developments as they happen. Follow along: https://t.co/b7fVK4LYNu pic.twitter.com/KsE8f1Ga7O
“Climate change does not stay in its lane,” António Guterres said.
“It drives anger and displacement around the world. It wipes out development gains built over decades. It pushes countries deeper into deficit. It aggravates competition for land and water,” António Guterres said.
The arguments for investing in renewables, grids, storage & energy efficiency have never been more compelling. They strengthen energy security. They create jobs. They make economies more competitive. They make common sense.#COP31
“It fuels instability. And increasingly, it threatens the very existence of communities and countries. For all these reasons, I have never viewed climate action as just one of many other issues. Climate action is central to every aspect of the work of the UN,” António Guterres said.
The Mediterranean Vulnerability
The annual summit convened against a backdrop of severe regional strains, with the Mediterranean Basin warming 20 percent faster than the global average, according to analysis from The Times of Israel. That geographic vulnerability has manifested in destructive wildfire seasons across Greece, Italy, and southern Turkey.
I was extremely impressed to see more than 90,000 people at #COP31 in Antalya. I could feel their energy & determination to push for urgent #ClimateAction. Only the @UN can bring so many people from around the world together in defense of our planet & our common future. pic.twitter.com/xySRKsKnRL
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pointed to the global cost of maintaining the status quo during her address to heads of state. She said that severe floods in Nepal and droughts spanning from Sudan to Central America demonstrate that the world has reached a dangerous tipping point.
Ursula von der Leyen said that the world is on course to overshoot the 1.5-degree target, and that every fraction of a degree matters.
Negotiating the Cover Decision
Australia and Türkiye, sharing a unique co-presidency arrangement for the two-week conference, published a Summary of Reflections on Friday to capture proposals raised during negotiations, TRT World reported. The document outlines contentious priorities without identifying specific countries, serving as a loose basis for the final political agreement known as a cover decision.
The text revives the polarizing debate over transitioning away from fossil fuels. That language proved successful during negotiations at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, but subsequent summits in Azerbaijan and Brazil saw explicit references vanish under pressure from oil-producing nations.
As we head for warming above 1.5°C, climate adaptation is falling behind. Even if international public adaptation finance tripled by 2035, it would cover only 20–29% of developing countries' needs. At #COP31, countries must turn financial commitments into action to close… pic.twitter.com/THs5DvJbCy
Other key proposals include tripling adaptation finance for developing economies and adopting a target to derive 35 percent of final global energy from electricity by 2035. However, European Union officials warned that political appetite for additional funding commitments remains limited.
Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate and energy minister and the president of the negotiations, emphasized that the reflection text is not a locked negotiating document. Participating countries have until late Saturday to respond, while an official draft cover decision is expected early next week.
