Fears mount that next UN chief will downgrade climate action
Climate experts are expressing concern that the successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres may prioritize climate action less than the current leader. Potential candidates for the role have faced criticism for their perceived lack of commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Why it matters
The UN Secretary-General plays a pivotal role in global climate policy, and a shift in leadership could significantly impact international efforts to meet Paris Agreement goals.
António Guterres must step down at the end of his second five-year term on 31 December./Getty Images António Guterres must step down at the end of his second five-year term on 31 December./Getty Images United Nations Fears mount that next UN chief will downgrade climate action Experts say some of António Guterres’s possible successors could be ‘disastrous’ for efforts to tackle crisis
Prefer the Guardian on Google Fears are mounting that the next UN secretary general will downgrade the priority of the climate crisis, according to climate and civil society experts.
The current secretary general, António Guterres, has been the most forthright on the subject , calling fossil fuel companies “the godfathers of climate chaos” and warning governments they are rushing down a “highway to hell” by failing to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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