UN chief warns of imminent climate disaster at COP31

Guterres criticized the fossil fuel industry for obstructing progress, calling for a swift end to the use of coal, gas, and oil to prevent what he described as a looming “disaster.” He stated, “Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs, but that won’t happen on its own. The dinosaurs did not have a lobby, but fossil fuels do.”

The Secretary-General emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that emissions reached record highs in 2025 and heat records continue to be broken. He highlighted that the past four years have been the hottest on record, while fossil fuel companies profit at the expense of the planet. Guterres warned of “mutually assured destruction” due to escalating climate disasters impacting lives, livelihoods, and economies globally.

Among the leaders present at the summit are Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is scheduled to speak on Thursday, representing the only G7 nation in attendance. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen is also participating, while leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan are absent.

The United States, historically the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is not participating in the talks for the second consecutive year.

Turkiye, as the host of COP31, is promoting a voluntary initiative to accelerate electrification across various sectors, aiming for electricity to account for 35 percent of global energy consumption by 2035. The European Union has stressed the importance of “clean” electrification, potentially leading to discussions regarding the role of fossil fuels in Turkiye’s proposal.

President Pezeshkian of Iran announced his intention to address the environmental impact of conflict, specifically referencing actions by the United States and Israel. He made the statement before departing for Turkiye, according to Iranian state television.

A recent UN report indicated that the world is on track to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit established by the Paris Agreement. This assessment comes amidst a series of extreme weather events, including severe heatwaves in Western Europe and a devastating glacier collapse in Nepal that resulted in over 1,500 fatalities and thousands missing.