(CNN) — UN Secretary General António Guterres appealed to world leaders Tuesday to show solidarity and act on the climate crisis, warning that humanity was on track for a “hellscape” of temperature rise that would bring “catastrophe.”
At the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres called specifically on leaders to end subsidies on fossil fuels, end the use of coal, invest in renewable energy, and tax carbon and pollution “instead of people’s income.”
“The climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch,” he said. “The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a code red for humanity. We see the warning signs in every continent and region — scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces.”
He also said the climate divide between the rich and poor world must be bridged, calling explicitly for developed countries to contribute funds to help developing nations confront the climate crisis.
In a later speech to the assembly, USPresident Joe Biden announced he will work with Congress to double again the United States’ financial commitment to support developing nations. Biden pledged in April the US would increase its contribution to global climate financing to $5.7 billion per year, putting his new commitment around $11 billion per year.
“In April, I announced the US will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis, and today, I’m proud to announce that we will work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts,” Biden said.
More than a decade ago, world leaders from developed countries agreed to contribute $100 billion a year to support countries in the Global South that are facing the most direct impacts of climate, a goal that was missed. In 2019, developed countries contributed $79.6 billion for developing countries, around $20 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal, according to a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report.
The US was also criticized for failing to transfer any money under the Trump administration; Trump pulled the US out of its global climate financing commitments when he pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. Under the Obama administration, the US paid $1 billion of a $3 billion commitment it originally made in 2014.
Even with Biden’s new commitment, US allies contribute more to the effort. For instance, the European Union transfers around €25 billion a year (the equivalent of $29.3 billion).
The assembly is the last major international event before world leaders meet again at the G20 in Rome in October, followed immediately by the UN climate conference in Scotland.
“We are weeks away from the UN climate conference in Glasgow, but seemingly light-years away from reaching our targets,” Guterres said. “We must get serious and we must act fast”.
Guterres’ speech revealed his increasing impatience and frustration with leaders. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — whose government has allowed rampant deforestation in the Amazon — is also speaking Tuesday.
The UN chief’s speech and newly strident tone comes as Guterres prepares to launch his next five-year term as UN Secretary General. It also comes amid a global political landscape that has itself grown more moderate in tenor since the exit of former US President Donald Trump.
The Secretary General and President Biden met briefly on Monday evening at Biden’s Manhattan hotel, with a discussion that “reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United Nations and the United States, anchored in shared principles and values,” Guterres’ office said.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “UN chief says climate alarms are ringing at a ‘fever pitch’ in frustrated speech.”
