Seoul Gazette - Guterres Warns Against Building Peace on a 'Burning Planet' in Cop31 Farewell

António Guterres has issued a stark warning against building peace on a "burning planet" during his final address at the Cop31 climate summit, emphasizing that climate action is central to every aspect of global governance and human survival.

Speaking at his last climate press conference as secretary-general on Friday, Guterres castigated fossil fuel companies and governments for their inaction, stating that poverty cannot be eradicated when climate disasters repeatedly push people back into destitution. He also highlighted the moral imperative of protecting young people from a future dependent on natural systems that are currently being destroyed.

Guterres, widely regarded as the most forthright secretary-general on climate issues, leaves office at the end of December. His successor remains unknown after former U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to influence the selection process. There are widespread concerns among diplomats and activists that the next incumbent may downplay the climate crisis in favor of other geopolitical priorities.

In a direct message to his successor, Guterres outlined why the United Nations must keep climate change at the top of the global agenda. "Climate change does not stay in its lane," he said. "It drives anger and displacement around the world. It wipes out development gains built over decades. It pushes countries deeper into deficit. It aggravates competition for land and water. It fuels instability. And increasingly, it threatens the very existence of communities and countries."

He concluded that climate action is not merely one issue among many, but a foundational element of the UN's work.

Guterres was one of the few world leaders remaining at Cop31 by Friday afternoon. More than 90 heads of state or government had attended earlier in the week before returning to their capitals, leaving negotiators to focus on critical technical issues such as the electrification of the global economy and a just transition for workers in fossil fuel industries.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese departed after hosting meetings with major international investors and renewable energy companies. He also met with Taneti Maamau, president of Kiribati, a low-lying Pacific nation highly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Albanese made the plight of Pacific neighbors a central theme of his two-and-a-half-day participation in the talks.

The Australian co-presidency of Cop31, sharing its role with host Turkey, issued a list of "reflections" summarizing proposals from countries since the talks began on Monday. This document will serve as a loose basis for the first draft of the "cover decision," the final negotiated document expected to be gavelled through at the end of the summit.

Previous cover decisions have yielded significant progress. At Cop28 in Dubai in 2023, the agreement included a global pledge to "transition away from fossil fuels." At Cop26 in Glasgow in 2021, it produced a requirement to "phase down" coal use.

This year, hoped-for resolutions include a target of deriving 35% of final energy worldwide from electricity by 2035, seen as a key method for decarbonizing the global economy. Other goals involve pledges to cut methane emissions, make further progress on phasing out fossil fuels, and ensuring adequate finance for developing countries affected by climate disasters.

The "reflections" document highlights the difficulty Australia faces in forging an agreement before the scheduled end next Friday night. Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate and energy minister and president of the negotiations, clarified that the reflection text is not a negotiating text. "Nothing in it is prejudged, locked in or necessarily to be included in the final decision," he said.

Countries have until late Saturday to respond to the reflections, with an official draft cover decision text expected early next week.

Despite efforts to limit lobbyist influence, research revealed on Friday that more than 100 companies and groups linked to fossil fuels were present at the talks. Prakash Dalal of Pro Public/Friends of the Earth Nepal criticized this presence, stating, "Big polluters have caused loss of livelihood, emotional damage, trauma and survival challenges for our people. We cannot tolerate the disproportionate space given to them compared to civil society and our country delegations."

As negotiations continue, the focus remains on translating these reflections into a binding agreement that addresses both immediate emissions cuts and long-term structural changes in global energy systems.

O.Kwon--SG