UN Chief Tells World: Ditch Fossil Fuels Now as Sanders Demands Solar for All by 2030

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a blunt warning: the era of fossil fuels must end, and clean energy is now "unstoppable" [248566]. He called for reliable roadmaps and clear timelines to move away from coal, oil, and gas to avoid a climate disaster [248777].

His message came as world leaders gathered for High-Level Week, where the outgoing UN chief made a final push for climate action [248566]. In his speech, Guterres said clean energy has moved "from alternative to unstoppable," and urged governments to act now to avert climate catastrophe [248566].

At the same summit, a group of prominent figures—including United States Senator Bernie Sanders and climate advocate Yeb Saño—published an open letter demanding a bold shift to clean energy [248671]. The letter calls for solar power to be made available everywhere by the end of the decade [248671].

The signatories said they write with "great fear and great hope," pointing to a world overwhelmed by war and climate disasters—from the conflict in Iran to wildfires in Europe and melting glaciers in Nepal [248671]. Their message: the world must come together on clean energy, and it must do so now [248671].

The push for a fossil fuel exit also drew support from Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who said the shift to clean energy must do more than cut emissions [246356]. She argued it should also fight poverty, create jobs, and build industry [246356].

Kenyan President William Ruto added his voice at a summit on multilateralism, pushing for global finance reforms as conflicts, climate change, and artificial intelligence strain old systems [247933].

The renewed urgency comes as Guterres warned separately that peace is dangerously scarce, saying diplomacy is stalling and global solidarity is missing [247381]. He called on governments to return to negotiation, human rights, and social investment [247381].