UN Secretary-General's remarks to the High-level Event on Early Warnings for All at the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Congratulations on this landmark anniversary.

For 75 years, the World Meteorological Organization has been a barometer of truth.  

A credible and clear-eyed source of data and information about the planet we share.

And a shining example of science supporting humanity.

Every day, your scientists, technologists and meteorologists embody your anniversary’s theme of “Science for Action.”

Transforming observations into data.

Data into understanding.

And understanding into lifesaving action.

Without your rigorous modelling and forecasting, we would not know what lies ahead — or how to prepare for it. 

Without your long-term monitoring, we wouldn’t benefit from the warnings and guidance that protect communities and save millions of lives and billions of dollars each year.

And without you, we would never have understood the emergence of the dangerous and existential threat of climate change.

Your State of the Climate reports tell a consistent story:  

Global warming is pushing our planet to the brink.

Every one of the last ten years has been the hottest in history.

Ocean heat is breaking records while decimating ecosystems.

And no country is safe from fires, floods, storms and heatwaves.

As always, the poorest and most vulnerable countries pay the highest price — particularly small island developing states and the least developed countries.

But as the climate crisis accelerates, so too are the solutions to help communities adapt.

Early-warning systems — the focus of your meeting today — are a prime example.

Early warnings are not an abstraction.

They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock.

Enable families to evacuate safely.

And protect entire communities from devastation.

We know that disaster-related mortality is at least six times lower in countries with good early-warning systems in place.

And just 24 hours’ notice before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 per cent.

Early-warning systems work.

And they’re finally getting the attention — and investment — they deserve.

Over 60 per cent of countries now report having multi-hazard early-warning systems in place.

And least developed countries have nearly doubled their capacity since official reporting began.

Observation networks, regional collaboration and forecast capabilities are growing stronger every year.

And breakthroughs in digital technology and artificial intelligence are modernizing data exchange and alerting.  

Your new report on Hazard Monitoring & Forecasting shows how much stronger forecast and warning systems have become.

But we have a long way to go.

In 2022, I launched the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere, is protected by an alert system by 2027.

And I commend the WMO Secretary-General’s Call to Action that was endorsed earlier this week to act at the speed and scale required.

To bring our vision to life, I see three areas of urgent action.

First — governments must embed early-warning systems across their policies, institutions and budgets.

This requires bringing together meteorological and hydrological services into national disaster risk reduction mechanisms, including through legislation.

We also need renewed collaboration among governments, businesses and communities to ensure that early-warning systems and technology reach the most vulnerable communities.

Second — financing.

Reaching every community requires a surge of financing.

But too many developing countries are blocked by limited fiscal space, slowing growth, crushing debt burdens and growing systemic risks.

The Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla in June emerged with a consensus to unlock more finance for developing countries.

To strengthen capacity to mobilize domestic resources.

To triple the lending power of multilateral development banks, making them bigger and bolder.

To leverage more private finance.

To ease debt burdens with new instruments that reduce borrowing costs and risks, including from climate shocks, and speed-up support for countries facing debt distress.

And to reform global financial institutions so they better meet the needs of developing countries.

Finally — we need to address the problem of climate disasters at their source: a rapidly heating planet.

By November’s UN Climate Conference in Brazil, countries must deliver bold new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

These must include commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.

But science tells us that much greater ambition is required.

In Brazil, leaders must agree on a credible plan to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035 for developing countries.

Developed countries must honour their commitment to double finance for adaptation to at least $40 billion this year, and rapidly deploy proven tools to unlock billions more in concessional finance.

The Loss and Damage Fund needs to be capitalized with significant contributions.

Leaders must also embrace the limitless power and potential of renewable energy.

Last year, almost all new power capacity came from renewables — and investment is surging.

Renewables are the cheapest, fastest and smartest source of new power.

They represent the only credible path to end the relentless destruction of our climate.

Throughout, we must fight mis- and disinformation, online harassment, and greenwashing.

Through the recently launched Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, governments and organizations are working together to fund research and action promoting information integrity on climate issues.

Scientists and researchers should never fear telling the truth.

I stand in solidarity with you and with all scientists.

And I always will.

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

More than ever, we need the ideas, expertise and influence of the World Meteorological Organization.

You are the quiet force behind every climate-smart decision we make.

Let’s continue working as one to use science to deliver the action — and the justice — that people and planet urgently need.

Thank you.

[After hearing from Representatives of Regional Groups, the Secretary-General took the floor again and said the following]:

I must say I am impressed with the extraordinary commitments of the WMO and its partners on making sure that our projects, led by the WMO in relation to the early warning system, becomes a reality. And I would say it's absolutely essential that it becomes a reality everywhere in 2027. And I fully understand the obstacles from the financial point of view and from the capacity to mobilize partners, resources and, sometimes, the political will of governments, but it is essential to have it in place.

It's not difficult to forecast that the work of the WMO will be extremely vital in the next decade. We are receiving the Nationally Determined Contributions, and we received already the equivalent of 70% of emissions. The result is a reduction of emissions to 2035 of 10%.

According to what many of our science advisers have told us, it should be around 60%. I had, yesterday because I believe that science and truth are absolutely crucial when we discuss these issues, and WMO has been in the forefront of the fight for science and for truth in today's world, against all odds sometimes. I had the day before yesterday, a meeting with a number of scientists, some of them members of the IPCC, in order to discuss with them what is the right strategy in the approach and the right messaging in the approach to the COP in Brazil.

A few reports will be presented, one will be WMO on the emissions gap, but one thing is already clear: we will not be able to contain the global warming below 1.5 degrees in the next few years. The overshooting is now inevitable, which means that we are going to have a period, bigger or smaller, with higher or lower intensity, above 1.5 degrees in the years to come.

That means that the importance of early warning systems and the importance of the work of WMO will be vital, because the devastating impacts of these overshooting are to be expected. Now, that doesn't mean that we are condemned to live with 1.5 degrees lost. No. If there is a paradigm shift and people assume seriously that we need to deal with the problem, it is possible to anticipate as much as possible to get to net zero and then to be consistently with negative net in the future in order for temperatures to again go down and the 1.5 still remains, according to all the scientists I met, possible before the end of the century, if there is a very serious package of measures that correspond indeed to a paradigm shift, but in which fortunately we have both the science and the economy at our service.

But one thing is sure, the next decade you will have a lot of work, a lot of extremely important work, to preserve as much as possible human lives, to preserve as much as possible communities and to preserve as much as possible the economies of countries, especially in the most vulnerable areas in the world.

And so, I have to say, WMO is becoming more important than ever and to have early warning systems fully in place everywhere in 2027 must be, for all of us, an absolute priority. The good news is that after listening to you, I trust that, independently of what the errors of humankind will lead in relation to climate change, you will be there in the first line of protection of the populations worldwide. We can trust on your competence, your professionalism and your very solid science-based approach and the use of the technologies that are today essential to make your work even more effective.

So, thank you very much. And please be prepared, because in the next few years, there will be a vital role to be played by the World Meteorological Organization.