Extreme events 'turbocharged by climate chaos' piling up, warns UN chief

The UN secretary-general on Thursday warned of execarbating impacts of climate change, urging countries to push for reform of the international financial architecture.

In his video message to the Austrian World Summit, an annual climate conference taking place in Vienna since 2017, Antonio Guterres said if there was ever a time to come together and deliver on climate, "it is now."

"We are truly at a moment of truth. We are pushing planetary boundaries to the brink – shattering global temperature records and reaping the whirlwind," he said.

Saying that extreme events "turbocharged by climate chaos are piling up," Guterres underlined that the vulnerable are suffering the most.

"Scorching temperatures, lethal floods, deadly droughts and more – killing people, ruining lives, and driving up prices ... and we are in for far worse if leaders don't step-up and deliver – without delay," the UN chief said.

Pointing out that it is "climate crunch time," he said everyone must play their part to curb increasing global temperature.

"The next eighteen months are critical in the fight to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst of climate chaos," Guterres added.

Reminding pledges of countries to keep the planet's climate healthy, Guterres said extreme weather is sweeping the world which "shows all too clearly" the urgent need for developed countries to make good on their promise to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025.

"I urge countries to push for reform of the international financial architecture; and for a substantial increase in Multilateral Development Banks lending capacity and changes to their business model – so that they can play a much stronger role in climate finance," he said.