Pressure to act on climate is mounting: Key UN summit ahead of November's COP30

In September 2025, more than a hundred world leaders gathered at UN headquarters in New York to present new commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The summit was convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres a few weeks before the key COP30 conference in Brazil in November. Its aim was to highlight the urgency of the climate crisis and encourage countries to strengthen their emissions-reduction commitments before COP30 in Brazil. Guterres called it a wake-up call for leaders to arrive at the November conference with greater ambition.

According to scientists, global temperatures have already risen by 1.3 to 1.4 °C above pre-industrial levels, dangerously close to the critical 1.5 °C limit set by the Paris Agreement. Every additional tenth of a degree of warming increases the risk of extreme events such as floods, heatwaves and wildfires. Climatologist Johan Rockström warned that we are on the brink of irreversible changes. Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe highlighted the impacts of climate change that millions of people are already experiencing.

Different approaches across regions

The summit highlighted differences between regions. The European Union presented an ambitious framework plan to cut emissions by 66 to 72% in the coming years, with details expected at COP30. China, the world's largest emitter, for the first time announced an absolute target to cut emissions by 7 to 10% by 2035. President Xi Jinping pledged massive investment in solar and wind power and the development of electric mobility. Analysts welcomed these plans as an important signal of support for clean energy, while warning that they are not enough to keep global warming below a safe limit.

By contrast, the United States under President Donald Trump continues to deny climate change. Trump called the climate crisis “the greatest hoax,” and the US continues to distance itself from climate commitments.

Threatened countries call for action

The strongest speeches came from countries most threatened by climate change. Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine highlighted the critical lack of funding for adaptation measures and compensation for damage that is already threatening her country.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled the devastating floods of 2022, which caused more than $30 billion in damage and killed thousands. Yet his country produces less than one percent of global emissions.

The climate crisis cannot be ignored

In conclusion, the summit reaffirmed that the world is facing a climate crisis that cannot be ignored. Leaders of countries and institutions made pledges at the summit—some ambitious, others cautious. Ahead of November's COP30, it will be important to see whether the largest economies can agree on commitments that are truly sufficient to keep warming below 1.5 °C.

The 2025 climate summit therefore provided an important opportunity to sound the alarm in good time about the need to accelerate action in the energy sector and the economy. The coming months will be crucial for negotiations ahead of the COP30 conference in Brazil in November. It will show whether countries are ready to deliver on their ambitions.