UN chief at COP31 urges fossil fuel tax to aid vulnerable nations

At the COP31 climate conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders to tax fossil fuel profits and fund vulnerable nations, bluntly stating the climate crisis is outpacing current efforts. Guterres called fossil fuels "dinosaurs" that must disappear, accusing their lobby of twisting science and delaying action. He noted nine major oil companies earned $95 billion in one quarter, arguing governments should tax these profits to help vulnerable countries recover. The summit, gathering nearly 200 states, occurs amid deadly floods in Nepal and European heatwaves. Notable attendees include Brazil's Lula, UK's Andy Burnham as the sole G7 representative, Iran's Pezeshkian, and Turkey's Erdogan, though many heads of state are absent.