UN Chief, Brazil Gather World Leaders to Reaffirm Commitments Paris Agreement — Global Issues
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 23 (IPS) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Lula da Silva of Brazil on Wednesday, April 23, held a closed-door meeting with heads of state to discuss strengthening global efforts against the climate crisis and to ensure a just energy transition.
The heads of state comprised a small but representative group, which included major economies and leaders of some of the most vulnerable countries in the climate crisis. Among the attendees were President Xi Jinping of China, President Emmanuel Macron of France, President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya and Prime Minister Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands.
Key regional partnerships were also represented by their leaders, including the African Union, chaired by President João Lourenço of Angola; the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its chair, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia; the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), chaired by President Surangel Whipps Jr. of the Republic of Palau; and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.
“Our world faces massive headwinds and a multitude of crises. But we cannot allow climate commitments to be blown off course,” said Guterres. “We must keep building momentum for action as COP30 in Brazil approaches—and today was an important part of that effort.”
One senior UN official told the press ahead of the meeting that it was intended for heads of state to “reaffirm” their commitment to the Paris Agreement and to multilateralism, adding that “global challenges require global solutions.”
The official also noted that the states acknowledged that this year’s climate conference would be happening under a unique context, noting that the world was “seeing in real time an acceleration of the climate crisis,” as climate disasters have increased in severity and frequency, sparing no country or continent.
On the other hand, there is the “revolution of renewable sources,” according to the same UN official. In 2024, 40 percent of electricity generated globally came from renewable energy sources. The global job market in the renewable source sector has also seen upward momentum. As countries make moves to meet their NDCs and climate action plans, they may be encouraged by the growing number of jobs in the renewable sources sector as the “economic opportunity of the century,” according to Guterres.
As the host for COP30, Brazil has stated its commitment to mobilizing the international community, according to one senior official from Brazil working in the COP30 team. Wednesday’s meeting was one example of the COP team’s efforts to “mobilize support, mobilize action, and mobilize ambition ahead of COP30.” This senior official remarked that there would be an emphasis on the implementation phase of their climate action plans, acknowledging the general public’s expectations for more action so they could “believe in the process” of multilateralism as it applies to climate change. They expect to reach COP30 with a “very different and dynamic approach.”
This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Countries will present their new national climate goals and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The senior official from Brazil acknowledged that countries may present their NDCs in September to give time to process the information, but it is not a set deadline for them to present where they are in the process of meeting their goals. So far, only a small handful of countries have submitted their NDCs. Of them, only ten countries submitted their NDCs by the UN’s original deadline of February 10.
While countries solidify their transitions to climate-friendly initiatives, they must also scale up support to developing countries to meet their goals, Guterres said.
“Africa and other parts of the developing world are experiencing faster warming—and the Pacific islands are seeing faster sea-level rise—even while the global average itself is accelerating.” Meanwhile, despite being home to 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources, Africa has only around 1.5 percent of installed solar capacity—and receives just two percent of global investment into renewables,” he warned.
Guterres also renewed his calls for increased contributions in climate finance, including doubling adaptation finance and mobilizing 1.3 trillion USD a year for developing countries by 2035.
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