UN Chief António Guterres Delivers Farewell Address

During his final press conference at COP31, António Guterres gave an emotional review of his nearly decade-long tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations, which is due to end next month. Humbly asking the audience to stop applauding, Guterres described himself as a modest but persistent truth-teller on the climate crisis. He said: “I have tried to tell the truth about climate change. Sometimes that truth has been unwelcome. Sometimes it has been disliked. But my responsibility has never been to adjust the facts to suit others; it has been to speak the truth based on science, and especially to be clear when the truth is difficult to hear.”

Guterres said the reality was that the climate crisis was becoming dangerously out of control, and countries needed to step up their efforts on every front to address it. He noted that during his tenure, climate change had become “central to everything the United Nations does”, influencing issues ranging from conflicts to poverty reduction. “As I leave Antalya, my message is simple: face the facts. Follow the science. Choose the future. And never give up,” he said. During the press conference, Guterres also answered questions from journalists, including one from Fiona Harvey, who asked whether he had any regrets about speaking out so forcefully in support of climate action. “I don’t consider it being outspoken or speaking too much. I simply say what is true,” he replied.  He then spoke emotionally about growing awareness of the dangers of the climate crisis among the public, civil society, governments and institutions.

“There is a growing awareness and conscience in public opinion, civil society, and the commitment of many governments and institutions that we are still heading towards catastrophe. There is also a growing understanding that what I say is not merely rhetoric, but a very simple and clear statement of fact,” he said. In his farewell address, Guterres issued another stark warning: “You cannot make peace on a burning planet.”  The outgoing UN chief highlighted the progress made during his tenure while pointing to the wide gap between what climate science demands and the actions taken by political leaders.

“You cannot make peace on a burning planet. You cannot eradicate poverty when climate disasters repeatedly push people back into poverty. You cannot promise young people a better future while destroying the natural systems on which that future depends. And you cannot speak seriously about justice when those who have contributed the least to this crisis are the first and hardest hit,” he said. Guterres also endorsed efforts by COP31 co-hosts Türkiye and Australia to expand electricity access, while stressing that the energy should be clean and environmentally sustainable. He praised the roadmap developed under the COP30 presidency to move away from fossil fuels and halt deforestation. He also called for measures to curb the disproportionate influence of the fossil fuel lobby in climate negotiations. “The future of our planet cannot be traded on the terms of those who profit from its destruction,” he said.