United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in London, in the United Kingdom, late on Monday afternoon, 22 June, to attend a series of events that took place during the London Climate Action Week.
On Tuesday morning, after been greeted by Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Secretary-General delivered a special address at London Climate Action Week. He said that our world is facing two crises: A climate crisis pushing us deeper towards higher temperatures and closer to catastrophic tipping points; and an energy crisis exposing the folly of a world hooked on hydrocarbons.
The Secretary-General said that these crises may seem separate, but they share the same destructive origin: Fossil fuels. He underscored that they demand the same answer — a fast, fair transition to clean energy, and a surge in adaptation, resilience and climate justice for those already facing climate harm.
The good news, the Secretary-General said, is that, unlike every past energy crisis, we now have a clear way out, a clean way out. He said that renewables are the cheapest, fastest and most scalable source of new electricity in most of the world. There are no embargoes on sunlight and no blockades on the wind, he added.
During his address, the Secretary-General launched a global Call to Action on Methane and proposed an AI Environmental Transparency Initiative.
Soon after, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera. This was followed by a meeting with the President of the Republic of Palau, Surangel S. Whipps, Jr.
Early in the afternoon, the Secretary-General addressed the Local Climate Action Summit. In remarks, he underscored that the climate fight will not be won in negotiating rooms, but through the actions we take in our communities. As we enter this era of implementation, he stressed that local leaders have an even greater responsibility to ensure the transition moves faster, becomes fairer and delivers security, resilience and prosperity for all.
After delivering his remarks at the Local Climate Action Summit, the Secretary-General met the Minister for Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye and COP31 President, Murat Kurum.
Later on, the Secretary-General addressed the Global Energy Transition and Electrification Summit. In remarks, he said that the age of clean electrification is here. The question, he said, is whether we can build the grids and storage, mobilize the investment and deliver the infrastructure at the speed and scale required.
On the margins of the Global Energy Transition and Electrification Summit, the Secretary-General spoke with Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net-Zero of the United Kingdom, and also met Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.
Then, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, Yvette Cooper.
Early in the evening, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Secretary-General was awarded the Kew International Medal in recognition of his global leadership on climate change, biodiversity loss and collective action for people and planet. Upon receiving the award, Mr. Guterres delivered remarks and said that he accepted the medal not for himself, but for the United Nations, and all those who work in the United Nations.
The next day, on Wednesday morning, the Secretary-General delivered remarks at the Climate and Development Finance Forum 2026. In those remarks, he underscored that climate adaptation is no longer about preparing for a distant future. It’s about managing risks in real time, as the searing heat now gripping London and far beyond makes unmistakably clear.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General addressed a Super Pollutants Reception. In remarks, he noted that the climate crisis is accelerating, and we are now on course to overshoot the 1.5°C limit in the coming years. Our task, the Secretary-General emphasized, is to keep that overshoot as small, short and safe as possible, and to bring temperatures back down. He said that can’t happen without drastically reducing emissions, starting now, and accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, starting now.
The Secretary-General stressed that this requires steps to end deforestation and protect nature, and it demands the world move fast on super pollutants, the potent greenhouse gases that are behind nearly half the warming so far. He noted that methane is the super super-pollutant, so cutting methane is the single fastest brake we can pull on a warming planet, adding that this is why he launched a global Call to Action on Methane.
On the margins of the Super Pollutants Reception, there was also a private audience between His Majesty King Charles III, the Secretary-General and Prime Minister, Minister for Economic Affairs and Development and Minister for National Security of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley.
Before leaving London, the Secretary-General met Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of International Maritime Organization (IMO). Mr. Guterres expressed his full support for IMO’s efforts to release the seafarers stranded in the Gulf.
In the evening of Wednesday, 24 June, the Secretary-General departed London.