The UN's Secretary-General, António Guterres, has issued a stark warning to world leaders, stating that "humanity has opened the gates of hell" by failing to take decisive action against the climate crisis. This urgent message was delivered during a summit held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Guterres highlighted the devastating consequences of inaction, emphasizing the worsening heatwaves, floods, and wildfires that are being witnessed worldwide. He described how farmers are watching their crops washed away by floods, how sweltering temperatures are giving rise to diseases, and how thousands are fleeing in fear as historic wildfires continue to spread.

However, Guterres also conveyed a message of hope, emphasizing that there is still time to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this, he stressed the need to eliminate hefty subsidies to fossil fuels and implement carbon taxation, among other measures.

The Secretary-General took particular aim at companies that, in his words, have "sought to obstruct" the transition to a zero-emission economy by using their wealth and influence to delay and distract from necessary changes.

Additionally, Guterres expressed sympathy for less industrialized countries that bear the brunt of a climate crisis they did not cause and often find themselves trapped in unsustainable debt with wealthier nations. He reiterated his call for reforming multilateral development banks to provide more opportunities for affordable private financing for developing countries.

Furthermore, he urged wealthy nations to fulfill their commitment to allocate $100 billion annually to mitigate the effects of climate change in poorer countries—a commitment made in 2009 that has yet to be fully realized.

While acknowledging that a single summit will not change the world, Guterres expressed hope that his initiative would create new momentum toward achieving international climate goals. He stressed the urgency of accelerating plans into action and called for a collective effort to address the climate crisis.

The Climate Ambition Summit has invited over 100 countries to outline fresh plans for tackling the climate crisis and aiding communities in adapting to its effects. This initiative aims to build momentum in the lead-up to Cop28 in November, underscoring the need for immediate and comprehensive action on a global scale.