Secretary-General António Guterres Issues Clarion Call for Ambitious National Climate Plans; Michael R. Bloomberg Answers

UN Secretary-General’s pivotal climate speech issues urgent call for accelerated climate ambition from nations with eighteen months to salvage humanity’s chances in the face of an existential deadline

New York, NY – Speaking at the American Museum of Natural History, UN Secretary-General António Guterres today, on World Environment Day, made an urgent call for maximum ambition, maximum acceleration, and maximum cooperation by all actors across society in the leadup to COP30 in Belem, Brazil. In response to the Secretary-General’s pressing call, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg pledged to turbocharge his long-standing dedication to the UN’s climate agenda, supporting the Secretary-General’s mandate for swift, transformative and decisive action over the next eighteen months.

The Secretary-General has been a climate champion and visionary leader, using his platform to prioritize climate as the top item on the global agenda for change. Today’s announcement builds on his years of bold and unparalleled leadership to confront the most critical issue facing humanity. The Secretary-General has consistently sounded the alarm on the urgency of the climate crisis and used his position to galvanize countries, local leaders, businesses, and civil society to work together and do more, faster. His emphasis on the need for developed countries to support developing countries in their climate efforts has been a cornerstone of his climate diplomacy. Further, he has been a staunch advocate for people disproportionately impacted by the prolonged use of fossil fuels and the resulting climate crisis, from flood-stricken communities in Pakistan to residents in India facing deadly heat waves and women and children affected by unprecedented biodiversity loss.

“The need for climate action is unprecedented, but so is the opportunity for economic prosperity and sustainable development,” said António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General. “As Mike Bloomberg put it so well, ambition is important but action matters most. This is an all-in moment – and all of us must be part of the solution.”

“Secretary-General Guterres has rightly been urging countries to aim high in setting new targets for cutting emissions – and as we saw in New York City, there is every reason to. The same steps that fight climate change also grow the economy, create jobs, and improve public health,“ said Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions. “We owe the Secretary-General a big thanks for all his leadership. He has long been a champion of bottom-up partnership that enlists every part of society, every level of government, and every sector of the economy. He has been tireless in reminding world leaders of their responsibility to act boldly and quickly and fearless in calling them out when they fall short. He continues to provide the strong leadership the world needs, and it’s up to all of us to work together and answer his call to action.”

COP30 will be the critical moment for countries to heed the Secretary-General’s call and demonstrate their commitment to act, as nations submit their 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), determining if the world can limit global warming to 1.5°C as laid out in the Paris Agreement. To help the world get there, Bloomberg Philanthropies will work with national governments, cities, businesses, financial institutions and civil society to turn ambition into action, ensuring country NDCs are actionable, investable, and inclusive.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ commitment will focus on three main areas to galvanize climate action and help countries build ambitious, actionable NDCs in the lead-up to COP30:

• Creating pathways and tools to help develop and deliver investable NDCs: Provide support to develop investment plans that scale finance towards renewable projects and mitigation and adaptation efforts, helping nations – especially emerging economies – transition away from fossil fuels and build climate resilience. This includes deepening ongoing efforts of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to mobilize climate finance by supporting country-led platforms and collaborating more effectively with multilateral development banks, as well as the work of the Global Capacity Building Coalition to support domestic resource mobilization in emerging economies. GFANZ will also work to identify, from the perspective of net zero-committed financial institutions, the key elements of investable national transition plans.
• Ensuring NDCs are supported by the power of local climate action: Together with local and subnational governments and organizations including C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors, work to integrate urban development plans into NDCs and provide a series of tools, data and resources to subnational actors to support the global, whole-economy transition and the scaling up of clean energy investment. Efforts will build on the historic commitment from over 70 countries to the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships (CHAMP), a new process for local and regional leaders to contribute to the development and delivery of updated NDCs.
• Supporting bold country energy transition plans to supercharge more ambitious NDCs: Building on existing efforts to phase out coal globally, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources and clean energy technologies, driving a net-zero carbon future.

This announcement builds on the legacy of Mike Bloomberg’s deep support for the UN and the Secretary General’s climate leadership and an unmatched commitment as a business leader, philanthropist, and Special Envoy to reduce global emissions. In 2021, in response to the Secretary General’s call to phase out all coal globally by 2030, Bloomberg committed to shut down a quarter of the world’s remaining coal plants and cancel all proposed coal projects globally by 2025. At COP27, Bloomberg built on this pledge by announcing expanded partnerships to support developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to accelerate coal phaseout, develop viable pathways to net zero, mobilize climate finance, and speed the deployment of clean energy.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies: 
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, please visit  bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

Media Contact:
Daphne Wang, daphne@bloomberg.org