Türkiye, November 11: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an accelerated global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, warning that continued investment in coal, oil and gas is undermining efforts to limit global warming and exposing economies to growing energy insecurity.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the Leaders’ Summit at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday, Guterres said the global climate crisis was accelerating, with greenhouse gas emissions reaching record levels in 2025 and the past four years being the hottest on record.
“The case for fossil fuels is collapsing,” he told world leaders, arguing that dependence on imported fossil fuels had left much of the world vulnerable to international conflicts, volatile energy prices and economic instability.
Three-quarters of humanity live in countries that import fossil fuels, making them increasingly exposed to price shocks beyond their control, he said.
Guterres urged governments to accelerate a “science-aligned, just, orderly and equitable transition” towards renewable energy, stressing that the shift must be supported by credible national roadmaps and adequate international financing.
Renewable energy gaining momentum
Highlighting the rapid transformation of the global energy sector, Guterres said renewable energy had demonstrated its ability to expand at an unprecedented pace over the past decade.
Solar power, which accounted for just one per cent of global electricity generation a decade ago, met nearly three-quarters of the increase in global electricity demand last year, he said.
Similarly, electric vehicles have expanded rapidly, with nearly one in three new cars sold globally expected to be electric in 2026, compared with just one in every 100 a decade ago.
He also pointed out that clean energy had become the cheapest source of new electricity generation across most parts of the world.
These developments demonstrate that a rapid transition away from fossil fuels is technically and economically possible, although political resistance and vested interests continue to obstruct progress.
“The dinosaurs did not have a lobby. But fossil fuels do,” Guterres said, accusing fossil fuel interests of distorting scientific evidence and delaying climate policies and accountability.
He called on governments to end their dependence on fossil fuels and ensure that future energy investments support a low-carbon economy.
No new fossil fuel infrastructure
Setting out the priorities for the coming decade, the UN chief urged governments, particularly developed countries, to stop expanding fossil fuel production while claiming commitment to the 1.5°C temperature goal.
He called for an end to new coal projects and new oil and gas infrastructure that would make the Paris Agreement’s climate objectives increasingly difficult to achieve.
The transition, he said, must involve rapidly expanding renewable energy, electricity grids, energy storage and clean electrification, alongside substantial reductions in methane emissions.
Guterres also called for stronger protection of forests, oceans and biodiversity as part of a broader strategy to tackle climate change.
Referring to the latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) emissions gap assessment, he said global renewable energy capacity must at least triple from 2025 levels by 2035, while unabated coal-fired power generation must decline by at least 75 per cent.
By 2040, unabated coal power should be almost completely phased out, while oil and gas consumption should fall by around one-third, he added.
Governments must align their energy policies, investment decisions and infrastructure development plans with these targets.
Climate ambition falling short
Despite the rapid growth of renewable energy, Guterres warned that global climate action remained far behind what science demands.
Global emissions need to decline by approximately six per cent annually, but current national climate plans, including conditional commitments, would deliver only about one-third of the required reduction.
Even if fully implemented, existing national plans would leave the world facing global warming of more than 2.5°C by the end of the century, he warned.
The UN chief acknowledged that temporarily exceeding the 1.5°C threshold had become inevitable but insisted that the scale and duration of such an overshoot could still be limited through stronger action.
He said the world must move much faster to prevent irreversible damage to ecosystems, economies and vulnerable communities.
Financing the transition
Guterres also stressed that developing countries needed substantial financial and technological support to move away from fossil fuels.
Emerging and developing economies outside China are home to nearly two-thirds of the global population but receive less than one-fifth of worldwide clean-energy investment, he said.
He called for a new Climate Justice Compact based on shared responsibilities, security and benefits, arguing that countries should not be expected to transform their energy systems without access to affordable finance and technology.
Developed nations must lead emissions reductions and fulfil their climate financing commitments, while emerging economies should accelerate their transition towards renewables.
He urged developed countries to deliver at least $300 billion annually in climate finance by 2035 and called for adaptation funding to increase substantially.
The broader $1.3 trillion climate finance goal must translate into actual funding for developing countries, he said.
Guterres also called on multilateral development banks to increase lending, mobilise private investment and take greater financial risks to support clean-energy projects in vulnerable economies.
In a pointed criticism of the imbalance between fossil fuel industry profits and climate finance, he said the world’s nine largest oil companies had earned $95 billion in profits in the previous quarter alone.
By comparison, the Loss and Damage Fund had received around $600 million.
Guterres argued that governments should consider taxing extraordinary fossil fuel profits to help vulnerable countries recover from climate-related damage.
“Polluters must pay,” he said.
A just transition is essential
The Secretary-General emphasised that the transition away from fossil fuels must protect workers, communities and developing economies that remain dependent on conventional energy sources.
He called for stronger international cooperation on electricity grids, critical minerals, methane reduction and early warning systems, warning that geopolitical divisions and trade barriers could make the energy transition more expensive and slower.
He also urged governments to ensure that every community was protected against climate-related disasters through improved adaptation measures and early warning systems.
Concluding his address, Guterres said the world had an opportunity to build cleaner economies, fairer societies and a safer future through decisive climate action.
“The clock is winding down. It’s make or bake time,” he told world leaders.
He urged governments to turn climate commitments into practical action, saying the coming decade would be decisive in determining the future of the global climate and energy systems.