New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sounded a clarion call for urgent global climate action, urging countries to set tougher and faster targets for 2035. Addressing a high-level climate summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said that while the 2015 Paris Agreement helped shift momentum, the world remains far off track from the 1.5°C warming limit. He stressed that the coming decade will be decisive, warning that existing pledges “are not enough to keep humanity safe.”
Among the new commitments, China stood out by pledging its first-ever absolute emission reduction goal. Beijing announced plans to cut emissions by 7–10 percent from peak levels by 2035, alongside a sixfold expansion in wind and solar power compared with 2020. This would raise the share of non-fossil fuels to more than 30 percent of the national energy mix. President Xi Jinping, while unveiling the target, also criticized nations he described as “climate retreaters,” in a veiled reference to the United States.
Experts say China’s announcement marks a shift from promises to slow emissions growth to actual reductions. Still, observers argue the ambition remains modest compared to what climate science demands. Li Shuo, from the China Climate Hub, noted that Beijing’s target balances political and economic stability, but cautioned that “global scrutiny will remain intense.”
The urgency of Guterres’ appeal was heightened by political reversals elsewhere. In a controversial UN speech, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as a “con job,” ridiculing scientists and reaffirming Washington’s rollback of Paris Agreement pledges. Analysts believe this stance effectively hands China the leadership role in the global clean-energy race, sharpening the divide over responsibility and ambition.
Other governments also unveiled their 2035 roadmaps. The European Union is working toward a new target expected to slash emissions by 66–72 percent compared to earlier levels. Australia pledged cuts of 62–70 percent from 2005 benchmarks. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned that upcoming pledges ahead of COP30 will determine whether the world respects science or succumbs to denial.
Despite these steps, climate experts caution that overall progress remains insufficient. The Earth has already warmed by more than 1.2°C since pre-industrial times, and current pledges still put the world on course for about 2.6°C of warming. Guterres acknowledged that while the “worst-case path” of 4°C has been narrowed, the gap to 1.5°C remains dangerously wide.
Reiterating his message, Guterres declared that the 2035 round of climate pledges must be transformational. “The choice before us is stark: step up now, or step aside and face the consequences of inaction,” he said, calling on leaders to recognize that delaying action only multiplies costs and risks.
The summit underscored a global crossroads where some nations are pushing forward with new commitments, while others retreat into denial. The Secretary-General’s warning leaves no doubt: the race against climate change will be won or lost by the strength of action in the next decade.