UN chief calls for national timelines to phase out fossil fuels
Guterres used his farewell UN address to demand transition roadmaps with dates, as only France and the Netherlands have set 2050 deadlines so far.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres called on every country to draft a formal plan for phasing out coal, oil and gas, complete with firm timelines and protections for affected workers, in his farewell address to the UN General Assembly Monday.
Guterres accused fossil fuel companies of profiting from climate damage, saying "Big Oil has treated the atmosphere as an open sewer – and cashed in on the consequences."
So far, only France and the Netherlands have published national transition plans, both aiming for a full phase-out by 2050. A push for a shared global framework collapsed at last year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, and countries are now working through a voluntary reporting process ahead of this year's summit, COP31.
Solar power paired with battery storage costs about 50 euros per megawatt-hour, roughly a third less than the 150 euros charged for gas-fired power, according to Greenpeace's executive director.
Guterres' appeal comes as COP31 hosts Australia and Turkey continue expanding fossil fuel production, and Brazil pursues new oil exploration near the Amazon River.
This brief is based on reporting by Sebastian Rodriguez, published Sept. 22, 2026, on Climate Home News. Read the original: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/09/22/un-chief-calls-on-countries-to-adopt-fossil-fuel-transition-plans-with-timelines/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
