Urging Mayors to Accelerate Climate Action, Secretary-General Stresses ‘World Is Counting on You’, in Message to C40 World Summit

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Cities Climate Leadership Group C40 World Mayors Summit, held in Buenos Aires today:

Cities around the world are enduring a multitude of tests, from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic to cascading food, energy and cost of living crises.  Your leadership is essential to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in this difficult context.

Cities around the world also remain at the forefront of the climate emergency.  As disasters continue to grow and intensify, our efforts to combat climate devastation are stalling.  Our addiction to fossil fuels is intensifying.  Greenhouse‑gas emissions are at an all-time high and rising.

Current pledges and policies — particularly from the G20 [Group of 20] countries — are shutting the door on our chance to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C .  Globally, we need to reduce emissions by at least 45 per cent before the end of this decade.  Current pledges by Governments would result in an increase in emissions of 14 per cent by 2030.

This would be catastrophic.  With more than half of the world’s population, cities are where the climate battle will largely be won or lost.  Cities consume more than two thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 per cent of global carbon‑dioxide emissions.

Your citizens look to you to provide leadership, action and protection that is often lacking at the national level.  First, I encourage you all to urgently reduce your carbon footprints during this critical decade.  Set robust net-zero emissions targets, with detailed transition plans, policies and targets.  Invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.  Ease red tape for renewable energy projects.  Promote green and decent jobs and expand social protection.

Second, I urge you to challenge companies and financial institutions in your cities to pledge and act credibly on zero commitments.

Third, please invest in climate resilience.  Half of all climate finance needs to flow to adaptation.  And every person on Earth needs to be covered by effective early warning systems within the next five years.  We have to save lives and livelihoods from the growing climate crisis.

Finally, I ask you to use your powerful voices, influence and networks.  Mobilize your citizens in support of a decarbonized, climate-resilient future.  Engage your national Governments to accelerate climate action.  This starts at COP27 [twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change], in just two weeks’ time.  Every Government, every business, every investor, every institution must step up.  The world is counting on you.