The UN climate chief, Simon Stiell, called on countries Monday to take urgent steps to implement their commitments to mitigate climate change and accelerate the energy transition. His comments came during the opening of the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany.

In his speech, Stiell emphasized that the climate crisis is the most urgent challenge facing the world, given that our economies and livelihoods directly depend on a stable climate. He noted that despite initial efforts to tackle the crisis, further action is still needed to achieve the required goals.

Stiell stressed that governments need to prioritize ending fossil fuel dependence and accelerating the transition to renewable energy, highlighting the environmental impacts of fossil fuel extraction as well as its economic instability, especially in the context of oil cost crisis caused by geopolitical events such as the war in the Middle East.

Additionally, the UN expert urged governments to take immediate action to fulfill their climate obligations and achieve the goal set by the Paris Agreement, which is to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. For this purpose, countries need to optimize the Paris Agreement by advancing key issues related to the Global Goal on Adaptation, which establishes a set of measurable targets and guidelines for global adaptation action, including the development of effective transition mechanisms and adequate financing.

Lastly, Stiell asserted that the UN is committed to making the climate process more efficient and accessible for all countries, particularly for developing countries that do not have access to climate finance to fund climate action. This echoes previous criticisms made by organizations in 2024 about the financial plan announced at COP29.

The UN climate meetings in Bonn are a preparatory step ahead of COP31, which will take place November 2026 in Türkiye, where the focus will be on setting concrete measures to implement the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Apart from a few regional measures to decrease global temperature levels and mitigate global warming, such as the EU’s commitment to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 or the UN General Assembly’s confirmation of states’ obligation to combat climate change, progress in the matter remains limited.

Relatedly, warnings have been issued about upcoming extreme weather events due to El Niño effects. Furthermore, on June 8, the UN warned that the health of the world’s oceans is deteriorating due to human-driven climate change, calling for increased protection and reduction of emissions. The UN also raised concerns about the massive energy and water demands associated with the daily use of artificial intelligence (AI), calling for the creation of a “responsible AI ecosystem.”