Published on: 2026-09-23
Source: United Nations – Объединенные Нации –
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September 23, 2026 Climate and Environment
“We are the first generation with the means to end the era of fossil fuels, and the last that can prevent a climate catastrophe,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday. He called on countries to develop realistic plans for transitioning away from fossil fuels with clear timelines for their implementation.
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The Group of Twenty countries, responsible for about 80 percent of global emissions, must lead the transition.
By 2035, the total volume of climate financing must reach $1.3 trillion per year, including at least $300 billion annually that needs to be mobilized for developing countries.
At the summit, new initiatives in the field of electric grids and critical minerals were announced, and there was a renewed call to expand coverage with early warning systems.
The UN Climate Summit, held on Wednesday at the organization’s headquarters in New York as part of the high-level week, brought together leaders of the world’s largest economies, countries particularly vulnerable to climate change, as well as leading producers and consumers of energy resources. Participants discussed how to accelerate the fight against climate change and strengthen cooperation.
“The world demands climate justice – in emissions reduction, adaptation, and financing. We must respond to this call with actions,” emphasized Guterres.
The head of the UN expressed outrage that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, whereas they should be rapidly decreasing.
“The extraction of fossil fuels continues to expand—against science, economics, and common sense,” he said. According to him, companies operating in this sector are making superprofits, while ordinary people are paying the price.
Scientists now expect that warming will temporarily exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold compared to pre-industrial levels, as set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. The task, according to the Secretary-General, is to make this exceedance as small and as brief as possible.
“Fortunately, there is a way out. Because, although the crisis is accelerating, solutions to overcome it are emerging just as quickly,” he emphasized. Almost everywhere, renewable energy sources have become the cheapest, fastest, and most reliable way to produce new electricity. Clean energy, according to him, has ceased to be an alternative – its development can no longer be stopped.
Guterres called for tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency, accelerating electrification, sharply reducing methane emissions, and ending deforestation. He also warned that the growing demand for electricity, including from artificial intelligence systems, must be met through renewable sources, the development of power grids, and energy storage systems.
“I urge every country to develop a realistic plan to transition away from fossil fuels with clear deadlines,” he stated.
The countries of the “Group of Twenty,” accounting for about 80 percent of global emissions, must lead this effort, emphasized the Secretary-General. At the same time, the transition must be fair: creating jobs, strengthening social protection, and giving developing countries the opportunity to influence its course and benefit from its advantages.
Revolution in financing
Guterres called for mobilizing at least 300 billion dollars annually for developing countries, with developed states playing a leading role in this. By 2035, the total volume of climate financing, according to him, should reach 1.3 trillion dollars per year.
He also called for holding “polluters” accountable for the damage caused, easing the debt burden of countries after natural disasters, and giving developing countries a stronger voice in the international financial system.
The goal, according to the Secretary-General, is to “support the energy revolution with a revolution in financing.”
Funds are also needed by countries that are already dealing with the consequences of climate change and cannot avoid them. “Without adaptation, droughts turn into hunger crises, storms into debt crises, and heat waves take people’s lives,” he warned.
The Secretary-General emphasized that the success of climate actions depends on protecting their foundations: science and truth, international law, and cooperation.
The International Court of Justice confirmed that climate protection is an obligation, Guterres noted. At the same time, no single country can alone rid the global economy of carbon emissions or shield itself from climate shocks.
Electric grids, mineral resources, and early warning
At the summit, three initiatives aimed at removing practical obstacles that slow down the fight against climate change were also presented.
The new global initiative for the accelerated development of power grids, Global Grids Accelerator, will initially focus on Africa and Southeast Asia. Renewable energy is developing faster there than the networks needed to transmit the generated electricity.
Currently, renewable energy projects with a total capacity of more than 2500 gigawatts worldwide are awaiting grid connection. The initiative will unite governments, financial institutions, and technical partners to help secure financing and implementation of priority grid development projects.
The second initiative, developed within the framework of the Task Force on Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition, will begin operations in Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
By 2030, demand for such minerals as copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt is expected to nearly triple. The new mechanism is designed to help resource-rich developing countries create more jobs domestically and capture a greater share of mining revenues, while simultaneously strengthening industry governance and environmental protection.
Finally, as part of the “Early Warning Systems for All” initiative launched in 2022, about 2 billion dollars have been mobilized. Its goal is to ensure that by the end of 2027 every inhabitant of the planet is protected by an early warning system. More than 160 countries are receiving direct support.
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