Guterres at COP31: “The climate crisis is outrunning us”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday to act immediately, calling for an end to coal, oil and gas as energy sources and warning that “the climate crisis is outrunning us”.

Guterres said emissions hit a record high in 2025 and that the past four years were the hottest on record, and accused the fossil fuel lobby of delaying climate action. Host Türkiye is promoting a voluntary initiative to raise electricity to 35% of global energy use by 2035, while the European Union says electrification must be “clean”. The conference, co-hosted by Türkiye and Australia, runs until 20 November.