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Press Briefing: Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Secretary General delivers remarks on global call to address the increase and consequences of extreme heat due to manmade global warming. He also takes questions from the press corps on Gaza.
Excerpts from the SG's remarks:
"It’s summertime. But the living is no longer easy. This has been a week of unprecedented heat. First, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service declared Sunday, 21 July, as the hottest day on record. Then on Monday, 22 July, the mercury climbed even higher. And now we have just received preliminary data indicating that Tuesday, 23 July, was in the same range. In other words, this past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were the three hottest days on record. But, let’s face facts: extreme temperatures are no longer a one day, one week or one month phenomenon. If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat. Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere. Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic — wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50°C around the world.
Extreme heat impacts almost every area: Infrastructure buckles, crops fail and pressure piles on water supplies, health systems and electricity grids. Cities are a particular worry — they are heating up at twice the global average. Countries, cities and sectors need comprehensive, tailored Heat Action Plans, based on the best science and data. And we need a concerted effort to heat-proof economies, critical sectors and the built environment."
