UN chief: ‘Failure is not an option’ in fight against climate change

World leaders have touched down in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday ahead of the G20 Summit, where they will discuss economic cooperation and policies.

They were welcomed by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, who is set to hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the world’s largest economies.

Ahead of the summit in Rio, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for ‘leadership by example’ from G20 countries, and added that nations must work together to tackle common challenges in what he called ‘tumultuous times’.

“G20 leaders must lead. G20 countries, by definition, have tremendous economic clout. They wield massive diplomatic leverage. They must use it to tackle key global problems,” Guterres said during a press conference.

The G20 summit coincides with the UN Climate Summit COP29, where frustration is growing over the slow progress as delegations enter their second week of climate talks in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.

The UN Secretary-General said that “failure is not an option” in the fight against climate crisis and criticised the fact that vulnerable countries are the most heavily impacted.

Calling for reform to better reflect today’s global economy and the needs of these nations, he added, “They are not getting the level of support that they need from an international financial architecture that is outdated, ineffective, and unfair.”

Wars and US elections overshadow summit

Brazil’s President Da Silva’s election victory in 2022 over far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who showed little interest in international summits and whose foreign policy was mostly guided by ideology, sparked hope among the international community at the prospect of the leftist leader.

The Brazilian presidency laid out three priorities that need to be discussed, namely tackling hunger, transitioning to renewable energy, and reforming international institutions.

However, this year’s forum is expected to be overshadowed by two major wars — between Ukraine and Russia, and in the Middle East — as well as Donald Trump’s recent US election victory.

Guterres urged nations to step up for peace in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and Sudan.

“Peace in Gaza, with an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-state solution,” Guterres said.

“Peace in Lebanon, with a ceasefire and meaningful steps towards implementing Security Council resolutions in full. Peace in Ukraine, by following the UN Charter, UN resolutions and international law. Peace in Sudan, by leaders leaning on the warring parties to end the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on civilians,” he continued.

The G20, which includes G7 members and emerging economies, will be joined by an additional 56 delegations according to Brazil’s government, with member states expected to adopt a joint declaration at the end of the summit.

During a protest ahead of the discussions, activists from the Amazônia de Pé movement drew attention to the Amazon rainforest, holding a banner that read, “World Leaders: The Amazon is watching.”

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The Amazon, roughly the size of Australia, plays a crucial role in storing large amounts of the world’s carbon dioxide. However, “the planet’s lungs” are approaching a dangerous tipping point due to rising temperatures and deforestation.

US President Joe Biden toured the Amazon and met with Indigenous leaders before the G20 summit, making him the first sitting American president to visit the rainforest. It comes as president-elect Donald Trump seems determined to scale back the country’s commitment to combating climate change.