UN secretary-general António Guterres on Thursday called for urgent action to drive down global temperatures and keep the 1.5°C goal within reach.

Mr Guterres made the call at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, where negotiators, scientists, and civil society are gathering to discuss priority actions to tackle climate change.

The gathering focuses on the efforts needed to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C, the presentation of new national action plans, and the progress on the finance pledges made at COP 29.

“Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible. It could push ecosystems past irreversible tipping points, expose billions to unlivable conditions, and amplify threats to peace and security,” Mr Guterres told leaders in Belém.

Failure to contain global heating amounts to “moral failure and deadly negligence,” he added.

Each year that is warmer, he said, “will hammer economies, deepen inequalities and impact developing countries hardest — even though they did least to cause it.”

“After decades of denial and delay, science now tells us that a temporary overshoot beyond the 1.5°C limit – starting at the latest in the early 2030s – is inevitable,” Mr Guterres said. “We need a fundamental paradigm shift to limit this overshoot’s magnitude and duration and quickly drive it down. Even a temporary overshoot will unleash far greater destruction and costs for every nation.”

The secretary-general told COP30 that the 1.5°C limit remains “a red line for humanity”, calling for rapid emissions cuts, an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels, and stronger protection of forests and oceans.

Mr Guterres highlighted the growing momentum of the clean energy revolution, noting that investments in renewables now exceed those in fossil fuels by $800 billion.

“Clean energy is winning in price, performance, and potential,” he said, “But what is still missing is political courage.”

Echoing his remarks, World Meteorological Organisation chief Celeste Saulo said that greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest level in 800,000 years.

“From January to August this year, the Earth’s average temperature was about 1.42°C above pre-industrial levels, with oceans also reaching record highs, which is inflicting lasting damage on marine ecosystems and economies,” she said.

The planet’s relentless warming trend has shown no sign of slowing, with 2025 projected to be either the second or third warmest year on record, according to the State of the Global Climate Update 2025 issued by the WMO on Thursday.

It warns that the 11-year stretch from 2015 to 2025 will be the hottest period since records began 176 years ago.

“This unprecedented streak of high temperatures, combined with last year’s record increase in greenhouse gas levels, makes it clear that it will be virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5°C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting this target,” WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo said.

She stressed that science still shows it is possible to bring temperatures back below that threshold by the end of the century.

The report paints a stark picture of the compounding impacts of climate change. Arctic sea ice reached its lowest winter maximum on record, while Antarctic sea ice remained well below average. Global sea level rise, nearly twice as fast as in the 1990s, continued to accelerate due to ocean warming and ice melt.

Extreme weather events, from devastating floods and storms to prolonged heatwaves and wildfires, have disrupted food systems, displaced communities, and hindered economic development across multiple regions.

COP30, which opened on November 6 and will run through 21.

(NAN)