Pacific – As we watch the devastating
impacts of Hurricane Melissa making landfall in Jamaica,
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned in
his only interview before next month’s COP30 climate
summit that humanity
has failed to limit global heating to
1.5°C.
Acknowledging that overshooting the Paris
Agreement goal is now “inevitable,” Guterres urged world
leaders to “change course immediately” by urgently
cutting emissions to avoid catastrophic tipping points in
the Amazon, the Arctic, and the oceans. The warning comes
just weeks after scientists
confirmed that the world has already passed its first
climate tipping point with coral reefs in irreversible
decline.
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Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org
Deputy Head of Regions says,
“It is
disheartening to see how dangerously normalised this
temporary exceeding of 1.5 degrees has become. This is not a
casual situation, it should ring alarm bells at the highest
level. Even a temporary overshoot guarantees irreversible
loss and damage for Pacific Islands. Earlier this year we
heard of the irreversible decline of coral reefs – entire
ecosystems, food sources and protective barriers for our
islands. We will only cross more planetary tipping points if
we don’t urgently course-correct
immediately.
Our response to the 1.5 degree
limit has always been one of ambition and action. Pacific
leaders made the Paris Agreement a possibility and Pacific
youth pioneered the historic climate ruling by the
International Court of Justice. Our people are adapting the
best they can in the Pacific, we’re heading to COP30
determined to change the trajectory of our planet, the rest
of the world needs to catch up.”
The
announcement coincides with the NDC
synthesis report that examines 64 updated Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted between January
2024 and September 2025. According to the findings, current
pledges would collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by only 17% below 2019 levels by 2035, a fraction of the
roughly 60% global reduction required to limit warming to
1.5°C.
Jacynta Fa’amau, 350.org
Pacific Campaigner says,
“There is no
time for despair or retreat. Some may read this announcement
and think that all is lost, but that is far from the truth.
We continue because every single fraction of a degree
counts. Every day we overshoot 1.5 degrees equals
devastation for our people and oceans. Every inch we let the
fossil fuel industry take from us, is a mile our children
have to fight. There is only room for action, and that is
what needs to happen at COP30 this year. No more promises,
but real action. There is a gap between where countries’
emissions targets are, and where they need to be to keep 1.5
alive – COP30 is where we can address that critical
gap.”
