Secretary-General's remarks to the High-level Event on Early Warnings for All at the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Congratulations on this landmark anniversary.

For 75 years, the World Meteorological Organization has been a barometer of truth.  

A credible and clear-eyed source of data and information about the planet we share.

And a shining example of science supporting humanity.

Every day, your scientists, technologists and meteorologists embody your anniversary’s theme of “Science for Action.”

Transforming observations into data.

Data into understanding.

And understanding into lifesaving action.

Without your rigorous modelling and forecasting, we would not know what lies ahead — or how to prepare for it.  

Without your long-term monitoring, we wouldn’t benefit from the warnings and guidance that protect communities and save millions of lives and billions of dollars each year.

And without you, we would never have understood the emergence of the dangerous and existential threat of climate change.

Your State of the Climate reports tell a consistent story:  

Global warming is pushing our planet to the brink.

Every one of the last ten years has been the hottest in history.

Ocean heat is breaking records while decimating ecosystems.

And no country is safe from fires, floods, storms and heatwaves.

As always, the poorest and most vulnerable countries pay the highest price — particularly small island developing states and the least developed countries.

But as the climate crisis accelerates, so too are the solutions to help communities adapt.

Early-warning systems — the focus of your meeting today — are a prime example.

Early warnings are not an abstraction.

They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock.

Enable families to evacuate safely.

And protect entire communities from devastation.

We know that disaster-related mortality is at least six times lower in countries with good early-warning systems in place.

And just 24 hours’ notice before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 per cent.

Early-warning systems work.

And they’re finally getting the attention — and investment — they deserve.

Over 60 per cent of countries now report having multi-hazard early-warning systems in place. 

And least developed countries have nearly doubled their capacity since official reporting began. 

Observation networks, regional collaboration and forecast capabilities are growing stronger every year.

And breakthroughs in digital technology and artificial intelligence are modernizing data exchange and alerting.  

Your new report on Hazard Monitoring & Forecasting shows how much stronger forecast and warning systems have become.

But we have a long way to go.

In 2022, I launched the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere, is protected by an alert system by 2027.

And I commend the WMO Secretary-General’s Call to Action that was endorsed earlier this week to act at the speed and scale required.

To bring our vision to life, I see three areas of urgent action.

First — governments must embed early-warning systems across their policies, institutions and budgets.

This requires bringing together meteorological and hydrological services into national disaster risk reduction mechanisms, including through legislation.

We also need renewed collaboration among governments, businesses and communities to ensure that early-warning systems and technology reach the most vulnerable communities.

Second — financing.

Reaching every community requires a surge of financing.

But too many developing countries are blocked by limited fiscal space, slowing growth, crushing debt burdens and growing systemic risks. 

The Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla in June emerged with a consensus to unlock more finance for developing countries.

To strengthen capacity to mobilize domestic resources.

To triple the lending power of multilateral development banks, making them bigger and bolder.

To leverage more private finance.

To ease debt burdens with new instruments that reduce borrowing costs and risks, including from climate shocks, and speed-up support for countries facing debt distress.

And to reform global financial institutions so they better meet the needs of developing countries.

Excellences,

Enfin, nous devons traiter le problème des catastrophes climatiques à la racine – c’est-à-dire lutter contre le réchauffement rapide de la planète.

D’ici à la Conférence des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques, en novembre au Brésil, tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans nationaux d’action climatique – des plans ambitieux et conformes à l’objectif de limiter le réchauffement à 1,5 degré Celsius.

Ils doivent notamment inclure des engagements pour réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre au cours des dix prochaines années.

Mais la science est claire : nous devons être beaucoup plus ambitieux.

Au Brésil, les dirigeants doivent convenir d’un plan crédible afin de mobiliser, pour les pays en développement, 1 300 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2035 pour financer l’action climatique.

Les pays développés doivent honorer leur engagement de doubler le financement de l’adaptation, pour le porter, a minima, à 40 milliards de dollars cette année, et déployer rapidement des outils reconnus pour débloquer des milliards de dollars supplémentaires de financements concessionnels.

Le Fonds pour les pertes et dommages doit être doté de contributions substantielles.

Les dirigeants doivent aussi pleinement exploiter la puissance et le potentiel illimités des énergies renouvelables.

L’année dernière, la quasi-totalité des nouvelles capacités de production d’électricité était renouvelable, et les investissements dans ce domaine sont en forte hausse.

Les énergies renouvelables sont la source d’énergie la moins chère, la plus rapide et la plus judicieuse.

Elles constituent la seule voie crédible pour mettre un terme à la dégradation inexorable de notre climat.

Dans le même temps, nous devons lutter contre la désinformation, le harcèlement en ligne et l’écoblanchiment.

Dans le cadre de l’Initiative mondiale pour l’intégrité de l’information sur les changements climatiques, lancée récemment, gouvernements et organisations collaborent pour financer la recherche et l’action en faveur de l’intégrité de l’information sur les questions climatiques.

Les scientifiques et les chercheurs ne devraient jamais craindre de dire la vérité.

Je tiens à vous assurer, ainsi qu’à l’ensemble de la communauté scientifique, de mon entière solidarité.

Je serai toujours à vos côtés.

Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

Plus que jamais, nous avons besoin des idées, de l’expertise et de l’influence de l’Organisation météorologique mondiale.

Vous êtes la force tranquille qui éclaire chacune des décisions climatiquement rationnelles que nous prenons.

Continuons d’œuvrer ensemble pour mettre la science au service de l’action – et de la justice – dont les peuples et la planète ont besoin de toute urgence.

Je vous remercie.

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