‘World still underestimating risk of catastrophic climate breakdown’

UN Secretary General António Guterres has said that the world is still underestimating the risk of catastrophic climate breakdown and ecosystem collapse.

The UN secretary general made the warning in the run-up to Cop29.

He acknowledged that the rise in global heating is on course to soar past 1.5C (2.7F) over pre-industrial levels in the coming years.

Humanity is approaching potentially irreversible tipping points such as the collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the Greenland ice sheet as global temperatures rise, António Guterres said.

He also warned that governments are not making the deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions needed to limit warming to safe levels.