Climate Action Network responds to the UN Secretary-General’s remarks on his Priorities for 2025:
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network International, said:
“The Secretary-General has laid bare the truth: humanity is at a tipping point. This is not just a crisis – it is a call to redefine our future. This is a moral test for the world: we must choose justice over inequality and action over apathy. Governments must rise to the challenge with urgency and boldness, while billionaires and polluting corporations must finally pay their fair share. We can no longer accept a world where the wealthy and powerful turn a blind eye as their profits soar, while the poor and vulnerable bear the cost of their inaction. We can no longer live in a world where the mighty act with impunity. Together, as the peoples of the world, we have the power to transform this moment of turmoil into a reckoning – one where equity, resilience, and shared humanity guide us toward a thriving, safe and just future for all.”
Climate Action Network welcomes Secretary-General António Guterres’ powerful and urgent speech to the United Nations General Assembly addressing the “Pandora’s box of ills” unleashed by humanity. We recognise the deep interconnections between the four key areas – conflict, inequality, the climate crisis, and out-of-control technology -that he identifies as causing turmoil and uncertainty in our world. These challenges reflect the systemic failure of our economic, financial, and social systems.
To successfully address these unprecedented crises and rising polarisation, we must prioritise equity and justice. This begins with tackling inequality by placing the needs of the poor, the working class and the marginalised in all countries across the world at the centre of actions to address these crises.
This principle of equity must extend to the climate crisis, which disproportionately impacts poor and vulnerable communities. The Secretary-General was right to emphasise that climate destruction further exacerbates these existing inequalities. Wealthy nations and individuals bear the greatest responsibility for these impacts and must act first and fastest to address them.
We welcome his call to mobilise climate finance, eliminate perverse subsidies going to the fossil fuel industry, ensure polluters pay, and lift the financial burden off the poor and working class. Transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy should ensure energy affordability, ensure no workers are left behind, and build resilience for those most affected by the climate crisis.
As the United Nations marks its 80th year, we strongly agree with the Secretary-General that strengthening and defending multilateralism is more critical than ever. A united global approach remains our best hope to confront these interconnected global challenges, to secure a just and sustainable future for all and prevent the loss of millions of lives from climate disaster.
Climate Action Network stands ready to contribute to the announced special event to take stock of countries’ plans and deliver climate justice, as well as to the upcoming COP30 negotiations. Together, we must act boldly and decisively to create a world rooted in justice, equity, and shared humanity.