At the World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgency of climate action, stating that global emissions must decrease by 9% annually to prevent temperatures from rising beyond 1.5°C. Speaking at COP29’s opening at the Baku Olympic Stadium, Guterres highlighted 2024’s record-breaking heat as a stark warning, calling it a year marked by extreme climate impacts. He described widespread destruction—from deadly hurricanes and scorched seas to floods and crop failures—all intensified by human-driven climate change.