NEW YORK (July 22, 2025) – United Nations Secretary General Guterres delivered a major address on the need for more aggressive climate action to world leaders and UN representatives today, in the runup to a September deadline for countries to unveil their national climate targets.
Following is reaction from Yamide Dagnet International Senior Vice President at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“As the deadline for UN member countries to set their 2035 national climate targets looms, the Secretary General’s message is clear: be bold. The speech emphasized that the cost of inaction is simply too high and the opportunities too great to miss for countries to do anything but press the accelerator for resilient and green action.
“The Secretary General amplified the business case for clean, healthier energy, which delivers power more cheaply and faster than the fossil fuels that drive the climate and broader pollution crises. He reminded nations that they have already agreed to triple renewables, while doubling energy efficiency –but this is not enough. It must be followed by scaled up and responsible investments, governance structures and implementation measures to respond to a surge of energy demand – including data centers. We must continue to make access to energy more affordable, while securing equitable opportunities for all, including marginalized communities.
“Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the nations of the world must heed the Secretary General’s latest urgent warning and opportunities, to develop emissions reduction and adaptation strategies that are commensurate with the deepening climate crisis.”
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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).