Mitigating Global Warming, Restoring Ecosystems Necessary for World in Flames, Secretary-General Tells Wildland Fire Conference

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the eighth International Wildland Fire Conference, in Porto today:

I am pleased to greet the eighth International Wildland Fire Conference.  You are meeting amidst a world in flames.  Even in the Arctic and the Amazon, fires are becoming more frequent — and more deadly. Entire towns have been erased by fire; entire habitats charred by flames and choked by smoke.  And we are responsible for this devastation.

By flooding the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, we are turning our world into a tinderbox — hotter, drier and more combustible.  This creates a vicious cycle, with every fire emitting more greenhouse gases, more warming, more drying and more burning.  By century’s end, we could see a 50 per cent increase in extreme fires.  We must — and we can — avoid this future.

First, we must keep global warming below 1.5°C.  This means urgent action to reach net-zero emissions, phase out fossil fuels and scale up mitigation and adaptation.  Second, we must shift investments from reaction and response to prevention and preparedness.  This means restoring ecosystems, working with local communities, learning from Indigenous Peoples and helping vulnerable countries build resilience.

We will never prevent every wildfire.  But, by working together, we can build a safer, more sustainable and more resilient world for all.  I wish you every success.  Thank you.