100 Days To Exit: Guterres Warns 1.5°C Limit About To Be Breached, Says Oil Companies Must Pay
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is on verge of breaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius climate limit.
Guterres gave the warning on Tuesday September 22 2026 in New York while presenting his annual report with roughly 100 days remaining to the end of his tenure.
He said world most pressing problems are not separate issues but result of how power is used and who controls it.
He described climate crisis as the most profound intergenerational power imbalance and said keeping the 1.5 degrees goal alive remains critical.
According to him developed nations and big oil companies who polluted most and made huge profits must take responsibility.
He pointed out that major oil firms have recorded massive profits since Russia invasion of Ukraine while adaptation finance for developing countries remains very small.
Those who polluted the most and profited the most must do far more to repair the damage they caused. Polluters must pay, Guterres said.
He urged leaders, cities, civil society and citizens pushing for accountability to continue because they are on right side of history.
He called on developed countries to triple adaptation funding for poor nations and for governments to impose measures like windfall taxes and solidarity levies on fossil fuel industry to close climate finance gap for Global South.
His call came a day after campaigners submitted over 2 million signatures to United Nations under Make Polluters Pay campaign.
Guterres has consistently criticised fossil fuel industry which he once described as godfathers of climate chaos.
Campaigners say his latest statement shows how far push for polluter accountability has gone and they hope next UN chief will continue same drive.
Beyond climate, Guterres also spoke on inequality, debt and gender.
He said billions of people still lack food, clean water, education and healthcare despite record global wealth. He described inequality as question of power over opportunity and resources.
He said developing countries are trapped in debt while facing climate disasters they did not cause. He asked for faster debt relief, stronger multilateral development banks and fair access to IMF Special Drawing Rights.
On gender, he announced that United Nations has for first time achieved full gender parity across senior leadership, headquarters staff and professional roles.
Equality is not a dream; it is a decision, he said.
