UN chief urges rich nations to fulfill climate finance promises
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United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. Photo: United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged wealthy nations on Thursday to honor their climate finance promises, stressing the need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments to help poor nations combat the effects of climate change. Guterres made these remarks during a speech to Lesotho’s Parliament, emphasizing that rich nations must deliver on their promise of $300 billion annually to assist developing countries in addressing climate-related challenges. He also reiterated his support for Africa’s call for permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council.
Guterres is currently on a three-day tour of southern Africa, having visited South Africa earlier in the week. His trip includes a two-day visit to Lesotho, a small landlocked country in the mountainous region of southern Africa. During his visit, he plans to tour the Katse Dam, a vital infrastructure project designed to help Lesotho harness its water resources for energy production and distribution.
A significant focus of Guterres’ visit is on the urgent need for financial support to help vulnerable nations, particularly in Africa, which contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions but is among the hardest hit by climate change. Despite Africa’s minimal contribution to global warming, the continent faces devastating consequences, including droughts, floods, and severe weather patterns exacerbated by climate change.
At the U.N. climate talks held in Azerbaijan last month, an agreement was reached to mobilize at least $300 billion annually to assist developing countries in coping with climate change. However, the amount falls short of the more than $1 trillion that developing nations had initially requested. Guterres reinforced the call for wealthy countries to meet their financial obligations, particularly for landlocked and least developed countries such as Lesotho, which are especially vulnerable to climate impacts.
“Developed countries must meet their commitments and deliver the promised $300 billion annually for climate finance,” Guterres said in his address to Lesotho’s lawmakers. He also emphasized the importance of swiftly operationalizing the new Loss and Damage Fund, designed to compensate poor nations for the loss and destruction caused by climate-related disasters. Guterres called for the fund to be adequately funded by those nations most responsible for climate change.
Southern Africa is currently grappling with one of its most severe droughts in decades, which has sparked a hunger crisis affecting more than 27 million people, according to the U.N. Lesotho, along with other neighboring nations, has declared national emergencies in response to the devastating drought, which has decimated crops. The drought is largely attributed to the El Niño weather phenomenon, but other recent crises, such as cholera outbreaks and floods in East Africa, have been directly linked to climate change.
The World Meteorological Organization’s report this year highlighted that African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP annually due to climate-related impacts, placing an overwhelming burden on the continent. Guterres emphasized the need for global solidarity to address these challenges and ensure that poorer nations are not left behind in the fight against climate change.
In addition to his climate-related advocacy, Guterres also addressed the issue of Africa’s lack of permanent representation on the U.N. Security Council. Speaking in South Africa, he voiced his hope that by the time his term as Secretary-General ends in December 2026, Africa would secure at least two permanent seats on the Security Council. Guterres described the absence of permanent African representation as a “historic injustice,” noting that Africa, a continent of more than 1.4 billion people, remains systematically excluded from critical global decision-making processes.
“When a continent that is home to nearly a fifth of humanity remains systematically excluded from global decision-making, we must call this what it is—a relic of colonialism that has no place in today’s world,” Guterres stated. He argued that Africa’s exclusion from permanent representation in the Security Council is outdated and inconsistent with modern-day values of fairness and inclusion.
On Friday, Guterres is expected to visit the Katse Dam, a key component of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. This ambitious initiative involves building a series of dams and tunnels to redirect water from Lesotho’s highlands into South Africa’s river system, providing crucial water resources to alleviate South Africa’s water scarcity issues.
Guterres’ visit highlights the ongoing challenges faced by African nations, particularly in the context of climate change and global governance. His calls for climate finance, Africa’s greater representation on the Security Council, and the urgent need for international cooperation underscore the critical issues that must be addressed to create a more equitable and sustainable global future.
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