'You cannot build peace on a burning planet': UN chief warns in final COP31 speech

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday warned that the climate crisis was threatening global peace, poverty reduction and social justice, saying the world could not build a stable future while allowing the planet to continue warming.

“You cannot build peace on a burning planet,” Guterres said in his final speech at the 31st UN climate summit (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, as he reflected on his nearly decade-long tenure, which ends next month.

He warned that climate disasters were pushing vulnerable populations back into poverty and that the destruction of natural systems was undermining the future of younger generations.

“You cannot eradicate poverty when climate disasters keep throwing people back into it. You cannot promise young people a better future while destroying the natural systems on which that future depends,” he said.

Guterres also highlighted the gap between what climate science demands and what governments have delivered, calling for stronger action to contain the crisis.

In his final press conference at the summit, he said he had sought to communicate the scientific evidence on climate change, even when it was politically inconvenient.

“I have tried to speak the truth about climate change. Sometimes that truth has been uncomfortable. Sometimes it has been unwelcome,” he said.

“My responsibility has never been to make the facts more convenient. It has been to tell the truth rooted in the science, and to be especially clear when the truth is hard.”

Guterres said climate change had become central to the work of the United Nations during his tenure, influencing its efforts on conflicts, poverty reduction and other global challenges.

He urged countries to confront the evidence, follow scientific recommendations and maintain their commitment to climate action.

“My message as I leave Antalya is simple: Face the facts. Follow the science. Choose the future. And never give up,” he said.

Guterres backed efforts by the Turkish and Australian co-hosts to promote electrification, while stressing that the transition must be powered by clean energy. He also praised roadmaps developed under the previous COP presidency for transitioning away from fossil fuels and tackling deforestation.

He called for action against the disproportionate influence of the fossil fuel industry in climate negotiations.

“The future of our planet cannot be negotiated on the terms of those profiting from its destruction,” he said.

The fifth day of COP31 also saw renewed debate over the transition away from fossil fuels, climate finance and the expansion of electricity-based energy systems.

The head of the International Energy Agency described the world as entering an “age of electricity”, while Norway's top court ruled that three oil and gas permits were invalid because the government had failed to consider the global climate impact of burning the fuels.

The sole US senator attending the summit also criticised the influence of fossil fuel companies and their denial of climate science.

As Guterres prepares to leave office, civil society groups praised his advocacy on climate action. He told them he would continue to press for stronger action.

“I will never, ever give up,” he said.