UN chief urges "fast, fair" clean-energy transition, launches methane and AI initiatives

The United Nations spokesperson said the Secretary-General used his address in London to link the climate and energy crises and press for rapid action to replace fossil fuels.

The spokesperson said the Secretary-General warned that the world faces “two crises, a climate crisis pushing us deeper towards higher temperature and closer to catastrophic tipping points, and an energy crisis,” and argued they “demand the same answer, a fast, fair transition to clean energy.” The spokesperson quoted him saying renewables are “the cheapest, fastest, and most scalable source of new electricity all over the world,” adding, “there are no embargoes on sunlight and no blockades on the wind.”

According to the spokesperson, the Secretary-General launched a global call to action on methane and proposed an "AI environmental transparency initiative" intended to improve environmental data and accountability. He also spoke at a local climate-action summit and at a global electrification summit, where he stressed the need to build grids, storage and mobilize investment at the required speed and scale.

The spokesperson said the Secretary-General later met the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper, and will return to New York after additional meetings.