“Every fraction of a degree matters”—this was the urgent message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Brazil climate summit. He warned that the world is on the verge of “deadly negligence” by allowing global warming to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) benchmark.
In a harsh speech in Belem, Guterres stated that breaching this limit from the 2015 Paris Agreement would be a “moral failure.” He explained that “even a temporary overshoot” would have “dramatic consequences,” as each incremental rise in temperature “means more hunger, displacement and loss.”
His warning came as the summit revealed deep global divisions. The leaders of the three biggest polluters—China, the US, and India—were absent, a sign that Guterres’s message is not being heeded by all. He blamed this on “fossil fuel interests” holding world powers captive.
While the UN chief warned of failure, the summit’s host, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, offered a solution. His “Tropical Forests Forever Facility” is a $5.5 billion fund to pay 74 nations to protect rainforests.
These forests are essential for absorbing carbon and keeping the 1.5-degree goal within reach. The fund, backed by $3 billion from Norway, is a tangible tool to fight for every “fraction of a degree.”