For information only – not an official document
UNIS/SGSM/1490
17 April 2025
Mother Earth is running a fever.
Last year was the hottest ever recorded:
The final blow in a decade of record heat.
We know what’s causing this sickness: the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels.
We know the symptoms: devastating wildfires, floods and heat. Lives lost and livelihoods shattered.
And we know the cure: rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and turbocharging adaptation, to protect ourselves – and nature – from climate disasters.
Getting on the road to recovery is a win-win.
Renewable power is cheaper, healthier, and more secure than fossil fuel alternatives.
And action on adaptation is critical to creating robust economies and safer communities, now and in the future.
This year is critical.
All countries must create new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius – essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe.
This is a vital chance to seize the benefits of clean power. I urge all countries to take it, with the G20 leading the way.
We also need action to tackle pollution, slam the brakes on biodiversity loss, and deliver the finance countries need to protect our planet.
Together, let’s get to work and make 2025 the year we restore good health to Mother Earth.
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We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
The growing demand for minerals is amplifying the risks of crime, corruption and instability in the mineral supply chain, says a new study from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released today.
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
