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Sharm El Sheikh: The world is on a “highway to climate hell”, the UN chief warned in his impassioned speech on the opening day of the Egyptian climate change conference.

Antonio Guterres, speaking to world leaders gathered for COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, insisted that humanity must either cooperate to tackle global warming or perish.

Guterres was not afraid to accuse the world’s two largest economies – the United States and China – of not working together closely enough to tackle environmental problems.

He also called for a new agreement between rich and poor countries to further reduce emissions through financial help, phasing out coal in rich countries by 2030 and elsewhere by 2040.

“At the start of COP27, I called for a historic agreement between advanced and emerging economies, the Climate Solidarity Agreement. An agreement in which all countries redouble their efforts to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5-degree target,” Gu said. Tres said.

“Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish. It’s either a climate solidarity agreement or a collective suicide agreement,” Guterres said.

Such an agreement would allow countries and international financial institutions to work together to provide financial and technical assistance to help emerging economies accelerate their transition to renewable energy, he said.

It would also end reliance on fossil fuels and provide universal, affordable and sustainable energy for all, he said.

A UN climate change report released ahead of COP27 said that while countries are bending the global emissions curve downward, it will not be enough to prevent global temperatures from rising to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.

Running until November 18, COP27 is the largest annual meeting on climate action involving heads of state, ministers and negotiators, as well as climate activists.

Wael Aboulmagd, the special representative of the COP27 presidency, told Reuters that the campaign focused on securing separate funding for “loss and damage”, or compensation payments to vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related extreme weather impacts.

Last May, Egypt announced its intention to position itself as an impartial arbiter when it hosts this year’s summit. “It is in the interest of the process to maintain justice and to maintain an equal distance from everyone,” Aboulmagd said.

In his opening remarks, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi urged countries to do more to build trust that environmental issues are taken seriously.

“Trust will be the best guarantee of our success and progress and the achievement of our goals,” El-Sisi said.

He also called for action to have a real impact on global warming. “From this podium, I urge you to be a role model for the world to hope for,” he added.

The future of humanity is shared, Sisi said, and it has “a purpose and a hope, and we have the same hope here”.

“Climate change will never stop without our intervention…Our time here is limited and we must use every second we have,” El-Sisi added.

In his speech, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said that climate change will magnify already intricate challenges such as global stability and security.

He said all must cooperate to tackle climate change and use it as an opportunity to innovate and build a new economy.

“As we only have one planet, we have to come together to meet this challenge,” he said.

He said the UAE will continue to be a reliable energy producer for as long as needed. “The UAE is known as a responsible energy supplier and it will continue to play that role as long as the world needs oil and gas.

“We will focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the industry.”

The UAE has announced a strategic move to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Sheikh Mohammed praised his country’s recent deal with the United States to invest $100 billion in clean energy and produce 100 gigawatts of clean energy around the world.

He said the UAE will focus on supporting the implementation of the outcomes of previous COPs as it prepares for COP28 in Dubai in 2023.

About 3.5 billion people currently live in countries vulnerable to climate change, Guterres said.

“We urgently need progress on adaptation. In Glasgow (last year’s COP26), developed countries committed to doubling their adaptation support to US$40 billion a year by 2025. We must recognise that this is only the first step. By 2030 In 2019, adaptation needs will grow to more than $300 billion per year,” he said.

He urged financial institutions and banks to help the world move away from fossil fuels and invest in new technologies.

Guterres added that the war in Ukraine has exposed the serious risks of fossil fuel addiction.

“Human activity is the root cause of the climate problem. Human action must be the solution. Action to renew ambition. And action to rebuild trust between North and South,” he said.

He added that humanity now has the financial and technological tools to achieve climate goals, and countries should come together to implement them.

“It is time for full international solidarity,” he said. “A solidarity that respects all human rights and guarantees a safe space for environmental defenders and all actors in society to contribute to our climate response.”