UN Climate Ambition Summit: “Humanity has opened the gates to hell”

On September 20, the UN Climate Ambition Summit was held in New York, within the High-Level Week 2023 meetings, where national leaders, as well as business, finance, local authorities and civil society leaders, met to discuss credible actions, policies and plans to cut emissions and accelerate decarbonization. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced: “Humanity has opened the gates to hell”, underlining the vital and urgent need to fight climate change and to find solutions. In this regard, participants agreed that achieving the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement goal is still possible. However, some leaders insisted on the imperative of simultaneously phasing out fossil fuel use and accelerating the transition to renewable energy while ensuring universal access to energy. Moreover, development must support climate objectives and assist green industrialization for developing countries. 

The Green Climate Fund and the International Monetary Fund raised the need to deliver climate finance, also through private funds. 

Additionally, decarbonization and emission reduction must be prioritized, especially in the steel, aluminum and cement industries. Participants expressed support for global voluntary principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to ensure a sustainable transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

To conclude, the closing statements emphasized the importance of aligning strategies, policies and investments with the 1.5-degree goal. Although some actions and efforts have already been taken, there is a strong need for unprecedented cooperation and accountability. Climate justice voices in the streets and in tribunals must be heard.

The climate discussion's attention must now be on the future Global Stocktake at COP28.

To know more about the Climate Ambition Summit, read the report here.

Last update

1/10/2023