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STORY: UN / GUTERRES CLIMATE CRISIS
TRT: 03:46
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 APRIL 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters
23 APRIL 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Secretary-General António Guterres walks up to the podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“It was among the most diverse meetings of heads of state focused exclusively on climate in some time. Yet I heard a unifying message. Yes, our world faces massive headwinds and a multitude of crises. But we cannot allow climate commitments to be blown off course. We must keep building momentum for action at COP30 in Brazil — and today was an important part of that effort. We don’t have a moment to lose. No region is being spared from the ravages of accelerating climate catastrophes. And the crisis is deepening poverty, displacing communities, and fuelling conflict and instability.”
4. Various shots, Leaders’ Session on Climate and the Just Transition convened by President Lula of and the Secretary-General
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Dissenters and fossil fuel interests may try to stand in the way. But as we heard today, the world is moving forward. Full-speed ahead. No group or government can stop the clean energy revolution. Science is on our side — and economics have shifted.”
6. Various shots, Leaders’ Session on Climate
7. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Today, I urged leaders to take action on two fronts. First — to step up efforts to submit the strongest possible national climate plans well ahead of COP30. And leaders today committed to put forward ambitious and robust plans as soon as possible what was a strong message of hope.”
8. Various shots, Leaders’ Session on Climate
9. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“As leaders turbocharge their own transitions, I urged them to scale-up support for developing countries. Those least responsible for climate change are suffering from its worst effects. Africa and other parts of the developing world are experiencing faster warming —and the Pacific islands are seeing faster sea-level rise — even while the global average itself is accelerating.”
10. Wide shot, Guterres at the podium
11. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The economics are clear today; the cost of renewables is cheaper than the cost of fossil fuels. In the United State, we see the private sector with a very dynamic action, and we see many governors that committed themselves to the same objective. So, I think we need to look into the United States in the complexity of the US society and not only in the positions taken by the leaders of the country.”
12. Wide shot, Guterres at the podium
13. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“China has not only announced that they would produce their Nationally Determined Contribution, but President Xi said that those Nationally Determined Contributions would cover all economic sectors and all greenhouse gases. It’s the first time that China clarifies this point, and this is extremely important.”
14. Pan right, Guterres walks away
Following the Leaders’ Session on Climate and the Just Transition convened by Secretary-General António Guterres and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, the Secretary-General today (23 Apr) told reporters that “No group or government can stop the clean energy revolution.”
Guterres told reporters that the meeting “was among the most diverse,” yet, he said, “I heard a unifying message. Yes, our world faces massive headwinds and a multitude of crises. But we cannot allow climate commitments to be blown off course.”
The Secretary-General stressed that “we must keep building momentum for action at COP30 in Brazil — and today was an important part of that effort.”
He said, “dissenters and fossil fuel interests may try to stand in the way. But as we heard today, the world is moving forward. Full-speed ahead.”
Guterres said he had urged leaders “to take action on two fronts. First — to step up efforts to submit the strongest possible national climate plans well ahead of COP30,” and second, he urged them “to scale-up support for developing countries,” noting that “those least responsible for climate change are suffering from its worst effects.”
Asked to comment on the United States Government current position on climate action, he said, “the economics are clear today; the cost of renewables is cheaper than the cost of fossil fuels. In the United States, we see the private sector with a very dynamic action, and we see many governors that committed themselves to the same objective. So, I think we need to look into the United States in the complexity of the US society and not only in the positions taken by the leaders of the country.”
Asked about China’s participation in the Leaders’ Session, the Secretary-General said, “China has not only announced that they would produce their Nationally Determined Contribution, but President Xi said that those Nationally Determined Contributions would cover all economic sectors and all greenhouse gases. It’s the first time that China clarifies this point, and this is extremely important.”
The meeting was part of a joint mobilisation strategy by the two leaders to strengthen global action under the Paris Agreement and build momentum for stronger national climate plans to be announced in 2025.
The two-hour session held behind closed doors included China, the European Union, the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and small island developing States.
