22 April 2026 - Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres has again urged governments to step up the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy as war and climate risks create unprecedented challenges.
¡°The conflict in the Middle East has triggered the most severe energy crisis in a generation,¡± he said in a video message to the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin on Tuesday.
¡°And it makes one fact crystal clear: fossil fuels are not just wrecking our planet ¨C they are holding economies hostage.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Rise in investment
The Secretary-General made the case for renewable energy investment, which reached $2.2 trillion last year or double the amount invested in fossil fuels.
He stressed that ¡°homegrown renewables are the cheapest, fastest and most reliable source of new power,¡± laying the path to real and lasting energy security.
However, this requires action on three fronts.
A fair transition
¡°¹ó¾±°ù²õ³Ù,&²Ô²ú²õ±è;we must respond to the energy crisis without deepening the climate crisis,¡± he said, recalling that the world has just experienced the hottest 11 years on record ¡°and every major climate indicator is burning red.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
His second point called for building the necessary infrastructure ¡°to carry clean power to every home¡± by expanding energy grids, storage and modern power systems.
Finally, the international community must mobilise finance, particularly for developing countries because ¡°without support, the transition will be slower, less fair, and less secure.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Keep your promises
He noted that for developing countries, clean energy finance costs are two to three times higher than in richer economies.
¡°Yet many developed countries are backing away from climate and development finance commitments,¡± he added.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ chief called for climate justice. He urged countries to uphold climate finance promises, replenish multilateral climate funds, and mobilise $1.3 billion annually by 2035 to support developing countries.
¡®Make the right choice¡¯
The international community also must significantly scale up adaptation finance ¡°as a matter of survival,¡± he continued.
Although communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis did the least to create it, they are paying the highest price.
¡°Adaptation saves lives, protects livelihoods, and strengthens economies,¡± he said. ¡°And every dollar invested today saves many times more in avoided losses tomorrow.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
The Secretary-General issued a challenge to the international community, saying ¡°we can repeat the failures of the past ¨C or we can unleash the renewables revolution.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
He urged leaders to ¡°make the right choice¡± for climate stability, energy security and a liveable future for all.
Climate talks
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is an international conference convened each year by Germany to advance negotiations ahead of the annual Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ COP climate change conferences.
Ministers and high-level envoys from are attending the current talks which run from 20-21 April.
¡°Discussions are expected to centre on three main priorities: implementation of the , international climate finance and geopolitical resilience,¡± the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ climate secretariat, .
The next Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ climate conference, COP31, is scheduled to be held in Antalya, T¨¹rkiye, .
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵFCCC supports the Petersberg Climate Dialogue as part of the broader multilateral climate process.
The informal format ¡°allows parties to explore solutions to complex and sensitive issues outside formal negotiating settings,¡± it said.
Furthermore, ¡°these exchanges can help identify areas of convergence ahead of and contribute to preparations for decisions at COP31.¡±&²Ô²ú²õ±è;