COP31: World entering age of climate extremes — UN chief

United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey that the world is entering a new age of climate extremes. Speaking in Antalya, Guterres stated that a supersized El Nino is colliding with a planet already superheated by manmade climate change. He urged leaders to get serious by cutting emissions faster, accelerating a just transition from fossil fuels, and providing the finance and protection required by vulnerable countries.

The UN’s World Meteorological Organization released a report indicating that 2026 has continued a streak of rising sea levels, melting ice, and exceptional global temperatures. According to the agency, each of the past 12 years have been among the hottest on record, and this year is expected to be among the hottest ever.

WMO chief Celeste Saulo told reporters in Geneva that current conditions are "off the charts," cautioning that the strong El Nino could lead to more extreme weather and heat into next year. Saulo advised that preparations should be made for another record-breaking year in 2027.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Malay Mail, New Straits Times — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.