High fossil fuel prices spread inflation ‘like a cancer’, UN climate chief tells Cop31
Simon Stiell makes opening address at summit in Turkey, where talks are under way about speeding up shift to electrification A global fossil fuel price crisis is “spreading inflation like a cancer” around the planet, the UN’s climate chief, Simon Stiell, told the opening plenary of critical UN climate talks in Turkey. Stiell joined Cop31 hosts Turkey and Australia, which is leading the…
UN climate chief Simon Stiell warned that a global fossil fuel price crisis is worsening inflation worldwide, comparing it to "inflation spreading like a cancer." During the opening plenary of Cop31, the critical UN climate talks in Turkey, delegates from nearly 200 countries watched a short film depicting fire, flood, and storms, emphasizing the need to reconnect with our planet.
The summit, aimed at accelerating the shift to electrification, faces increased pressure to deliver, with global heating projected to reach at least 1.8C - beyond the 1.5C temperature goal set at the 2015 Paris Agreement. Climate scientists expressed deep concern that this overshoot is a global failure. The urgent need for action was highlighted by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who urged leaders to cut emissions faster and deliver the finance vulnerable countries need.
Australia's climate change minister, Chris Bowen, acknowledged that the 1.5C Paris target will be overshot but stressed that together, they can return to a safer trajectory through urgency, solidarity, and resolve. Stiell underscored the "fossil fuel cost chaos," noting that global heating is already costing the Earth, with vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of the consequences.
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