Secretary-General's remarks at the thematic session on “Climate
and Nature: Forests and Oceans”
Delivered by António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations
Belém, Brazil – 6 November 2025
Excellencies, dear friends,
We gather in Belém, where the world’s greatest rainforest meets rivers that
feed the ocean.
A place that reminds us that nature’s fate is humanity’s fate.
Here in Belém, that shared fate sits on a knife-edge.
Science shows that 1.5 degrees by the end of the century remains within
reach.
But a temporary overshoot is now inevitable.
We must act now to keep it as small and as short as possible – and to bend
the curve back to 1.5 degrees.
Every fraction of a degree matters, and any delay is indefensible.
This includes safeguarding our forests and oceans.
They are essential for climate stability, biodiversity, and the survival of
millions.
Yet we continue to destroy and degrade them.
That must end – now.
First, forests.
Today, we celebrated a major new initiative for tropical forests.
But vital forests stretch beyond the tropics – across boreal and temperate
regions.
They store carbon and regulate rainfall – shielding us from floods, droughts,
and deadly heat.
We must halt deforestation by 2030 to keep 1.5-degrees within reach –
protecting intact tropical and boreal forests, conserving peatlands, ending
illegal logging, and eliminating deforestation from supply chains.
We must also restore degraded land, with nature-based solutions that
protect watersheds, reduce disaster risk, and create green jobs.
Second, oceans.
Our oceans absorb a quarter of human CO2 emissions and most of the
excess heat trapped in our atmosphere.
They cool the planet, underpin food security, livelihoods, and coastal
protection.
