UN chief’s final warning: polluters must pay for climate devastation

Outgoing UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered his final major climate address Tuesday, accusing big oil of treating the atmosphere like an "open sewer" and demanding that major polluters pay for climate devastation. Guterres lamented world leaders' inaction despite a summer of record heatwaves, wildfires, and a catastrophic glacier collapse, warning that climate impacts are arriving sooner and hitting harder than anticipated. He insisted that those who polluted most must do far more to repair the damage. The climate crisis has slipped from the UN agenda, with no major new commitments expected this week. Experts praised Guterres as the most climate-forward UN chief in history, while some officials expressed frustration over political hypocrisy and a lack of bold action.