UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva convened a Special High-Level Event on Climate Action on 24 September 2025, during the high-level week of the 80th UN General Assembly. The summit, held ahead of COP30 in Brazil this November, was designed for Heads of State and Government to present new national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) and outline actions to keep the Paris Agreement goals within reach.
The UN chief opened the summit stating that “the Paris Agreement has made a difference. In the last ten years, projected global temperature rise has dropped from four degrees Celsius to less than three – if current NDCs are fully implemented.”
Guterres stressed that we now “need new plans for 2035 that go much further, and much faster.”
At the summit, around 100 Parties to the Paris Agreement representing two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions have now either submitted or unveiled new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets — setting out their commitments to accelerate climate action.
The Secretary-General continued to call on all governments – and particularly the G20 group of largest economies – to demonstrate their highest possible ambition for climate action, and seize the benefits of the new clean energy era. He is working closely with COP30 host, President Lula of Brazil, to achieve this.
“This COP will determine whether we believe the science or not. We will need to decide. Because if we do not take decisions, society will stop believing its leaders,” President Lula of Brazil said.
“We know it can be done,” the UN Secretary-General said, “China met its 2030 wind and solar target six years ahead of schedule. India reached 50% electricity capacity from non-fossil fuels five years early.”
Transitioning means prosperity
The pace and scale of climate impacts are increasing across the globe. At the same time, the energy transition is gathering pace and the opportunities of climate action have never been clearer.
Leaders emphasized that accelerating the energy transition can unlock jobs, growth, and energy security. Clean energy technologies deployed since 2019 are helping to avoid around 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually — of which 87% are due to solar photovoltaics and wind power displacing fossil fuels.
Developing countries, meanwhile, underscored the importance of incorporating adaptation, resilience, and loss and damage measures within their NDCs, stressing the urgent need for scaled-up financing to meet and surpass their ambitions.
EU’s statement of intent
The European Union, represented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a statement of intent approved by the Council of the EU on 18 September, pledging to submit its NDC before the COP30 summit begins in November.
Von der Leyen underscored the bloc’s commitment, stating Europe “will stay the course on our climate ambition”.
The statement notes that “the EU is expected to submit an NDC ahead of COP30 with an indicative 2035 target in a range between 66.25% and 72.5% greenhouse gas emissions reduction, compared to 1990 levels.”
The EU’s continued leadership on climate in the current geopolitical context is vital and underscores the need for strengthened international cooperation on an issue that knows no borders.
Representatives of sixteen EU Member States also took the stage during the summit: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The European Union will submit a single, collective NDC on behalf of itself and its Member States, which covers their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed concluded the Climate Summit, saying “leaders across the world have stood together to show that even at a moment of division and uncertainty, the resolve and determination to fight the climate crisis is alive and strong.”
This event also brought together leaders from local governments, business, and civil society, around thematic Solutions Dialogues held throughout the week by the United Nations and Brazil. Discussions highlighted that the technologies and tools needed to decarbonize energy, transport, and industry, protect forests, and strengthen resilience are already available. The challenge now is to accelerate scale.
Background
- The Climate Summit 2025 press release
- The speakers list and information on the Solutions Dialogues can be found on the website of the Climate Summit 2025