UN chief mobilizes global leaders for climate action by 2025

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations unveiled the Climate Promise 2025 initiative on Tuesday, a concerted global effort to prevent temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius as stipulated in the Paris Agreement.

Led by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Development Programme, the campaign mobilizes a diverse group of participants including social media influencers, indigenous leaders, and major corporations.

This wide-reaching initiative underscores a key message that, according to Guterres, "it is not all doom and gloom."

"Many countries have the will to take more ambitious steps on climate action, but the world needs to mobilize to ensure there is a way," Guterres said during the launch event dubbed Below 1.5 by 2025: The Plan.

Underlining the urgency, Guterres cited recent extreme weather events and scientific reports, warning that "what we are seeing is just a preview of the disaster that awaits unless we limit the long-term rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius."

The "1.5 degrees Celsius limit is still possible, but not for long," said the UN chief, urging all nations, especially the Group of 20 (G20), to intensify their efforts.

"We need concrete steps this year to get finance flowing and enable a surge in climate ambition," he insisted. "The United Nations is rallying to support you. Please, seize the opportunity. Together, let's make the next round of climate action plans count."