Why climate action now depends on speed, funding and cooperation

More than a decade ago, the world was on track to warm by more than 4°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Climate action since Paris Agreement has reduced that figure to 2.3°C if current national commitments are fully implemented.

The UN has been at the center of those efforts, pushing for stronger national plans, a faster transition to renewable energy and greater attention to adaptation, climate justice and the financing needs of developing countries.

But progress in limiting warming comes as the climate continues to warm. The past eleven years have been the hottest on record, with heat, drought, floods, storms and forest fires taking an increasing toll on lives, economies and development.

And the world is still on track to surpass the 1.5°C threshold, at least temporarily.

Against this backdrop, the next phase of climate action is not about setting new promises, but delivering on the promises already made, while pushing ambition even further.

What does exceeding the 1.5°C limit mean?

The 1.5°C limit refers to the rise in average global temperatures above pre-industrial temperatures over several decades. This is not defined by one year of exceptional heat.

Exceeding the limit means the temperature rises above the threshold over a period, reaches a peak, and if emissions are reduced deeply enough, will eventually fall again.

However, this decline cannot be guaranteed, this depends on the choices the government takes now and in the coming years.

Even if current national climate plans and additional net-zero pledges are fully implemented, warming could still peak at around 1.8°C, according to a latest UN Environment Program report.

The differences may sound small, but they are important. The higher the temperature rises and the longer they are there, the greater the risk.

“Every degree Celsius will cause loss of life, destroy livelihoods, deepen inequality, and push ecosystems towards irreversible damage,” Secretary-General António Guterres warned.

Why is speed important?

Speed ​​of action is important because the gap between current plans and what the science requires remains enormous.

Countries responsible for nearly 90 percent of global emissions have submitted updated national climate change plans, known as NDC. But even if the plan is fully implemented, it is estimated that it will only reduce emissions by around 10 percent by 2035.

To keep the 1.5°C target achieved, emissions need to be reduced by around 60 percent during the same period.

Closing the gap means reducing emissions more quickly, especially methane and other short-lived climate pollutants, while halting deforestation and accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Countries also need the infrastructure to support the change, including modern power grids, more storage, and greater use of green electricity in transportation, heating, and industry.

Moving faster can also strengthen energy resilience. Three out of four people live in countries that import more fossil fuels than they export, leaving them vulnerable when conflict or other disruptions affect global supplies and prices. Renewable energy can reduce this dependence.

As Guterres said, “there is no embargo on sunlight and no price spike on wind.”

Why are finances so important?

Not all countries have the same resources to make the switch to green energy.

Developing countries often face much higher borrowing costs for renewable energy projects, making investment in clean energy, power grids and storage more difficult despite their enormous potential.

The UN has repeatedly called for cheaper financing, reform of multilateral development banks and greater private investment in developing countries.

Finances also determine who benefits from this transition. A just transition will help workers and communities adapt to economic change, create decent jobs, and give developing countries a greater role in the growth of the green energy economy.

This includes minerals needed for batteries and other technologies: Producing countries must be able to extract more value from these resources than from simply exporting raw materials.

Why is adaptation important?

Reducing emissions is critical to limiting future warming, but it cannot eliminate the climate impacts humans are already experiencing today.

Recent floods and landslides in Nepal and China have once again demonstrated how vulnerable communities and infrastructure are to extreme weather. A strong El Niño expected to continue into early 2027 could compound these risks in several regions, including the Greater Horn of Africa and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This is why adaptation is so important. In practice, this means helping communities and countries overcome the impacts of climate change that can no longer be avoided.

In practice, this could include building stronger roads, housing and public services; supporting more resilient agriculture and ecosystems; improving water management; and expanding early warning systems so that communities have more time to prepare for floods, droughts, storms and heat waves.

Adaptation also requires more funding, especially for countries and communities that are most vulnerable to climate impacts and already face loss and damage from climate change.

Why do we need cooperation?

No country can tackle climate change alone.

Governments set their own climate policies, but many of the systems required for those policies to work cross borders, from energy and financial markets to technology and supply chains. Greenhouse gas emissions also do not stop at national borders.

Collaboration can help countries accelerate the renewable energy transition, strengthen resilience and facilitate access to finance.

This doesn’t mean everyone has to move at the same speed. Some countries have greater resources and capacity, while others face much greater financial and technological constraints.

The challenge is to help more countries overcome these obstacles and move more quickly, even as current geopolitical tensions make international cooperation more difficult.

The road to the General Assembly

These priorities are the Secretary General’s main priorities Climate Change Summit on September 23 at UN Headquarters. The goals can be summed up in three phrases: speeding up the transition, opening up access to funding, and protecting society.

This meeting will bring together government, development banks, business, finance and civil society to focus on practical obstacles to implementation.

Additionally, as part of the Summit, a Solutions Dialogue will take place throughout the week, focusing on practical ways to accelerate action in the areas of energy, oceans, adaptation, methane, finance, information integrity and green industrialization.

The focus is on turning existing commitments into action and what can be done together to speed up implementation.

You can follow the summit at UNWebTV.

Further information is available at Summit official website.