UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a significant appeal to the global community, urging all nations signed on to the Paris climate agreement to set more ambitious emission reduction targets for 2035. The call was made at a climate leaders summit held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly session on Wednesday.
A Push for Deeper Cuts Amid Global Division
The summit was convened to build momentum for more aggressive climate goals ahead of the upcoming COP30 negotiations in Brazil. Guterres emphasized the urgency of deeper emission cuts in light of the United States’ planned withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the contrasting views of other major global powers.
The UN chief’s call for enhanced targets by 2035 is a direct challenge to major emitters like China and members of the European Union, underscoring the need for global leaders to lead by example. With U.S. President Donald Trump expressing criticism of climate initiatives in his recent UNGA address, the focus remains on other nations to show greater commitment to limiting global temperature rise.