António Guterres | Time to act for our environment and future

This World Environment Day – observed annually on June 5 – warning signals are everywhere.

The past eleven years have been the eleven hottest on record.

And the damage goes far beyond rising temperatures – from polluted air to degraded land, collapsing ecosystems, and vanishing biodiversity.

Harming health, destroying homes and deepening hunger.

The world is heading for a temporary overshoot above 1.5 degrees.

Every fraction of a degree brings greater harm – especially to the most vulnerable.

Our task is to make that overshoot as small, as short, and as safe as possible – and rapidly bring temperatures back down.

That means slashing emissions.

Accelerating a just transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables – the only sustainable path to lower costs and to real energy security.

Cutting methane – one of the fastest, cheapest ways to limit near-term warming.

Protecting forests, land, and seas.

Helping communities adapt to the devastating impacts already here.

And it means fulfilling climate finance promises to developing countries – to save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen economies.

This is the moment to act – for our environment and for our future.

- António Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com