The Secretary-General Message for World Environment Day 2026

This World Environment Day, warning signals are everywhere.

The past eleven years have been the eleven hottest on record.

And the damage goes far beyond rising temperatures – from polluted air to degraded land, collapsing ecosystems, and vanishing biodiversity.

Harming health, destroying homes and deepening hunger.

The world is heading for a temporary overshoot above 1.5 degrees.

Every fraction of a degree brings greater harm – especially to the most vulnerable.

Our task is to make that overshoot as small, as short, and as safe as possible – and rapidly bring temperatures back down.

That means slashing emissions.

Accelerating a just transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables – the only sustainable path to lower costs and to real energy security.

Cutting methane – one of the fastest, cheapest ways to limit near-term warming.

Protecting forests, land, and seas.

Helping communities adapt to the devastating impacts already here.

And it means fulfilling climate finance promises to developing countries – to save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen economies.

This is the moment to act – for our environment and for our future.