UN secretary general António Guterres urges opening session in Brazil to bring about a ‘paradigm shift’

• Triple-whammy of hottest ever years risks ‘irreversible damage’, says UN

The failure to limit global heating to 1.5C is a “moral failure and deadly negligence”, the UN secretary general has said at the opening session of the Cop30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém.

António Guterres said even a temporary overshoot would have “dramatic consequences. It could push ecosystems past catastrophic tipping points, expose billions to unliveable conditions and amplify threats to peace and security.”