Overview
- Speaking at the WMO’s 75th‑anniversary conference in Geneva, Antonio Guterres warned that the last decade was the hottest on record and that surging ocean heat is driving more destructive extremes.
- He pushed to complete multi‑hazard Early Warning Systems worldwide by 2027, noting that 24 hours’ notice can cut damage by up to 30% and that mortality is far lower where systems are in place.
- Guterres urged COP30 negotiators to agree a plan to unlock $1.3 trillion per year in climate finance for developing countries by 2035, double adaptation funding to $40 billion this year, and bolster the Loss and Damage Fund.
- The UN‑backed International Methane Emissions Observatory reported only a 12% acknowledgement rate to 3,500 satellite alerts of oil and gas methane leaks, underscoring missed near‑term mitigation opportunities.
- WMO data show weather and climate hazards have killed over 2 million people in five decades, 90% in developing countries, highlighting the need for resources where fiscal constraints and debt limit resilience investments.