“We are heading for a global catastrophe”, warns the head of the United Nations

A speech in the form of a warning cry. “We need climate action on all fronts and we need it now,” insisted Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the occasion of the publication of the annual assessment by UN-Environment of the commitments of the signatories of the Paris agreement.

According to UNEP, these commitments put the Earth on a warming trajectory of 2.6°C by the end of the century, well beyond the objectives of the Paris agreement, i.e. a warming contained “well” below 2 °C, and 1.5°C if possible.

Commitments that “are pitifully not up to par”, comments the UN boss in a video message. “We are heading for a global catastrophe.”

A call to leaders two weeks before COP27

Less than two weeks before the start of COP27, which will start in Cairo on November 6, he called for “closing the gap” between these commitments and what would be necessary to respect the objectives of the Paris agreement to limit warming well below +2°C compared to the pre-industrial era, if possible +1.5°C.

“Our world can no longer afford greenwashing, pretense, laggards,” Guterres added.