‘Climate crisis is outrunning us,’ UN chief Guterres says at COP31
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the COP31 climate summit in Turkiye, urging world leaders to phase out fossil fuels to prevent climate disaster. He criticized the fossil fuel lobby for delaying necessary environmental action as global emissions reach record highs.
Why it matters
The speech highlights the ongoing tension between international climate goals and the economic influence of the fossil fuel industry during a critical global summit.
Antonio Guterres says the world must fight harder, and accuses the fossil fuel lobby of delaying climate action at critical talks.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at COP31 in Antalya, Turkiye, on November 11, 2026 [AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP Published On 11 Nov 2026 11 Nov 2026 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sought world leaders’ immediate response to climate change, which has put the world on a path to destruction, at the 31st Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye.
Accusing the fossil fuel lobby of “delaying” climate action, Guterres called on leaders on Wednesday to work to ensure that coal, gas and oil cease to exist as energy sources, saying it is needed to avert “disaster”.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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