Outgoing UN chief says polluters have treated atmosphere like an ‘open sewer’

Water forms under Nepal's Khumbu glacier. Guterres said the impacts of the climate crisis were ‘hitting harder and spreading further than many anticipated’. Photograph: Alex Treadway/Icimod/Reuters Water forms under Nepal's Khumbu glacier. Guterres said the impacts of the climate crisis were ‘hitting harder and spreading further than many anticipated’. Photograph: Alex Treadway/Icimod/Reuters Climate crisis Outgoing UN chief says polluters have treated atmosphere like an ‘open sewer’ António Guterres laments world leaders’ inaction and says oil and gas firms ‘must pay’ for climate devastation

Prefer the Guardian on Google For one last time, António Guterres tried to fix the world’s gaze upon the dangerously escalating climate crisis. But the departing UN secretary general found world leaders still largely focused on other issues, even after a painful summer of stunning climate-driven disasters.