UN Chief Urges COP31 Leaders to Meet Climate Challenges

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders at COP31 in Turkey to rise to the challenges of the conference, as an intensifying El Niño collides with climate change consequences. Guterres warned of a "new era of climate extremes," calling for faster emissions cuts, a just transition away from fossil fuels, and financial protection for vulnerable countries. The call accompanies a World Meteorological Organization report showing 2026 continues a series of global records. The report notes the last 12 years were the hottest on record, with sea levels at their highest and ocean temperatures hitting monthly records. Global temperatures from January to September 2026 were about 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels, with El Niño expected to peak in December.