KATHMANDU: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent global climate action, stronger international cooperation and increased financial assistance to developing countries, warning that the climate crisis is worsening faster than efforts to address it.
Addressing the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday, Guterres said global greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels in 2025, while the past four years were the hottest on record.
He warned that the world was set to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit established under the Paris Agreement but stressed that countries could still reduce the extent and duration of the overshoot through immediate action.
Guterres highlighted the growing climate risks facing developing and vulnerable countries, particularly those with limited financial resources to invest in clean energy and climate adaptation.
His remarks come as Nepal and other mountain nations push for greater recognition of Himalayan climate challenges at COP31. Nepal, together with Kyrgyzstan and other countries, has called for a separate Himalayan agenda to address glacier melting, permafrost degradation and climate-induced disasters.
Recent devastating floods in Nepal have further highlighted the growing threats to mountain communities, livelihoods and infrastructure.
Calling climate justice a defining challenge of the next decade, Guterres said developing countries needed greater access to finance and technology to transition towards sustainable economies.
He urged developed nations to provide at least $300 billion annually in climate finance by 2035 and called for adaptation funding to be tripled by the same year. He also emphasised the need to turn the broader $1.3 trillion climate finance commitment into actual financial support.
Guterres outlined four key priorities: a just transition away from fossil fuels, protection of vulnerable communities, affordable climate finance and stronger international cooperation.
He also called for universal early warning system coverage, greater protection against floods and droughts, and faster expansion of renewable energy.
For Nepal, increased adaptation funding, effective early warning systems and loss-and-damage support remain critical as climate-related disasters continue to threaten communities across the country.
Warning against geopolitical tensions undermining climate efforts, Guterres stressed that international commitments must produce measurable results.
“Negotiations matter—but success must be measured on the ground,” he said.
