Guterres calls for funded national plans to move away from fossil fuels

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to draw up and finance national plans to move away from fossil fuels, saying the transition needs practical steps rather than further discussion.

He spoke on 10 November at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, at an event on a global roadmap presented by Brazil, which held the presidency of the previous climate summit. The roadmap is intended to help countries move from coal, oil and gas towards cleaner energy.

The previous summit in Brazil did not reach consensus on the need for a global plan to reduce fossil-fuel dependence, Reuters reported. Guterres’s proposals are a call for action, not measures agreed by governments at COP31.

Countries should identify where fossil fuels are used, which jobs and public revenues depend on them, and what stands in the way of alternatives, Guterres said. Each national plan, he argued, should have a timetable, assigned responsibilities and financing requirements, as well as measures to protect workers and communities.

He said there was no single approach for every country: importers should reduce their exposure while expanding access to clean energy, while producers should diversify their economies. Plans should also address fossil-fuel infrastructure and cuts to methane emissions.

A Climate Analytics report published before the summit said rapid fossil-fuel phase-out and sharp methane cuts could halt warming at around 1.7°C by 2050. The report described what was theoretically possible, rather than a likely outcome under current policies.

Guterres called for countries to show, at the next global climate progress review in 2028, what they had done to reduce fossil-fuel use or production and how they would measure further progress.

He also urged developed countries, development banks and other partners to align finance and technology with national priorities. Importing and producing countries should coordinate their plans, he said, warning that poorly managed shifts could create supply gaps and price shocks.