United Nations chief urges ‘rapid’ emission cuts to curb climate change

Antonio Guterres warned governments that climate change is proceeding faster than predicted and fossil fuel emissions have already bounced back from a pandemic dip.

The head of the United Nations called on Thursday for “immediate, rapid and large-scale” cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming and avert climate disaster.

Ahead of the annual UN General Assembly meeting next week, Antonio Guterres warned governments that climate change is proceeding faster than predicted and fossil fuel emissions have already bounced back from a pandemic dip.

Speaking at the launch of a UN-backed report summarising current efforts to tackle climate change, Mr. Guterres said recent extreme weather – from Hurricane Ida in the United States to floods in western Europe and the deadly heatwave in the Pacific Northwest – showed no country is safe from climate-related disasters.