UN Chief Calls For 'Fight' Against Climate Disinformation
Original story by: International Business Times
Last updated: Oct 22, 2025
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- Context: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a strong response against climate disinformation ahead of the COP30 summit. This comes in light of statements made by US President Donald Trump, who described climate change as a "con job" and a "hoax." Guterres defended the scientific basis of climate change and advocated for the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources.
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- Detailed Summary:
- UN chief Antonio Guterres is urging a fightback against climate disinformation, emphasizing the importance of clear-eyed climate science. He stated that understanding the "dangerous and existential threat of climate change" is impossible without this data.
- Guterres specifically mentioned the need to combat mis- and disinformation, online harassment, and greenwashing. He asserted that scientists should never fear sharing the truth.
- These remarks appear to be a direct response to US President Donald Trump's recent statements at the UN, where he promoted fossil fuels and dismissed green technologies as a "joke" and "too expensive," calling climate change the "greatest con job ever perpetrated."
- Contrasting Trump's views, Guterres highlighted that in 2024, almost all new power capacity is from renewables, with surging investment. He declared renewables as the "cheapest, fastest and smartest source of new power" and the "only credible path to end the relentless destruction of our climate."
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), celebrating its 75th anniversary, is working towards covering all countries with extreme weather early warning systems by 2027.
- Guterres described the planet as being "pushed to the brink" by global warming, noting that the last 10 years have been the hottest on record, ocean heat is breaking records, and no country is immune to extreme weather events like fires, floods, storms, and heatwaves.
- He pointed out that the poorest and most vulnerable countries, especially small island developing states and least developed countries, bear the brunt of climate change's impacts.
- The upcoming COP30 summit in Belem, Brazil, is scheduled for November 10-21. Guterres urged countries to present strong domestic climate action plans at this summit, focusing on addressing climate disasters at their source.
- Guterres called for new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, including commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, stating that "much greater ambition is required."
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