UN chief proposes 'Climate Justice Compact' at COP31 in Türkiye

Antonio Guterres on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping "Climate Justice Compact" at the UN Climate Conference in Antalya, calling on developed nations to fulfill their financial obligations while warning that the current trajectory represents a "path to mutually assured destruction."

Four pillars of the compact

The proposed framework rests on four pillars. It calls for accelerating a "just transition" away from fossil fuels, protecting vulnerable populations, securing adequate financing, and prioritizing cooperation over geopolitical fragmentation.

Guterres told the Leaders' Summit that global renewable capacity must triple from 2025 levels by 2035 to meet the 1.5C threshold. Unabated coal power generation must decline by at least 75 percent within the same timeframe, he added.

Financing demands and oil windfall tax

The secretary-general urged developed nations to deliver at least $300 billion in climate financing annually by 2035. He proposed that governments tax the windfall profits of major oil companies to support vulnerable countries.

"We need a new Climate Justice Compact, based on shared responsibility, shared security and shared benefits," Guterres said. He stressed that all countries must fulfill obligations under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Warnings of climate catastrophe

Guterres warned that climate disasters are "pounding lives, livelihoods and economies" worldwide. He told delegates that the world faces a stark choice between managed transition and economic collapse.

"Either plan this just transition, or pay for it in chaos and lost livelihoods," he said. He described the current emissions trajectory as a "path to mutually assured destruction."

Türkiye is hosting COP31, the UN Climate Change Conference, in the southern coastal city of Antalya through the end of the month, with representatives from nearly 200 nations negotiating binding emissions targets.