Global heating is a cold, hard fact: UN Chief
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 10: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that today’s assessment makes it clear that global heating is a cold, hard fact, adding that governments must deliver new national climate action plans this year to limit long-term global temperature rise to 1.5°C and support the most vulnerable, as well as deal with the devastating climate impacts.
In a statement on the World Meteorological Organization report, the Secretary-General said "We have just endured the hottest decade on record – with 2024 topping the list, and likely to be the first calendar year with a global mean temperature of more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."
Antonio Guterres said "individual years pushing past the 1.5 degree limit do not mean the long-term goal is shot. It means we need to fight even harder to get on track."
He said blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025.
Specifically, he ssaid governments must deliver new national climate action plans this year to limit long-term global temperature rise to 1.5°C, and support the most vulnerable and deal with devastating climate impacts.
Antonio Guterres said there's still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act – now, he added.