Governments need to show the necessary ambition on mitigation, adaptation, and finance in a balanced way, and they can’t settle for the “lowest common denominator”, the UN Secretary-General has said in Glasgow, where crucial climate negotiations are in the final stretch. Meanwhile, 13 countries launched a new alliance to end gas and oil, and cities were the theme of the day.

António Guterres told delegates on Thursday that he was inspired by the mobilization of civil society, including young people, indigenous communities, women’s groups, cities and private sector, highlighting that the climate action struggle requires all hands-on deck.

“We know what must be done. Keeping the 1.5 goal within reach means reducing emissions globally by 45 percent by 2030. But the present set of Nationally Determined Contributions – even if fully implemented – will still increase emissions by 2030,” he reminded participants during a High-Level Event at the plenary.

He then referred to the latest joint analysis by the climate and environment UN agencies, which shows that even with the latest pledges and commitments made at COP26, we remain on track for a catastrophic temperature rise well above 2 degrees Celsius.

“I welcome the recognition of this fact in yesterday’s US-China cooperation agreement – an important step in the right direction. But promises ring hollow when the fossil fuels industry still receives trillions in subsidies, as measured by the IMF. Or when countries are still building coal plants or when carbon is still without a price,” he emphasized.

Guterres called on every country, city, company and financial institution to “radically, credibly and verifiably” reduce their emissions and decarbonize their portfolios, starting now.

Taking stock of progress, and a new way to measure it

While the UN chief recognized that current efforts to tackle climate change are far from enough, he highlighted the progress achieved during COP26 in Glasgow, including the commitment to halt and reverse deforestation, several net-zero commitments from cities and other alliances and pledges on the phasing out of coal and the investment in clean energies around the world.

“We need pledges to be implemented. We need commitments to turn concrete. We need actions to be verified. We need to bridge the deep and real credibility gap,” he added, saying that as an engineer, he knows that durable structures need solid foundations.

Guterres announced that he will establish a High-Level Expert Group to propose clear standards to measure and analyze net-zero commitments from non-state actors which will submit a series of recommendations next year.

“We must be able to measure progress and to adjust when off track…We must now zoom in on the quality and implementation of plans. On measuring and analyzing. On reporting, transparency and accountability”, he said, asking actors to cooperate with the UN and hold each other accountable.

“Only together can we keep 1.5 degrees within reach and the equitable and resilient world we need,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, COP26 President Alok Sharma gave an update on the negotiations over the last 24 hours. He said discussions on the global goal of adaptation were concluded, and that he hoped they would be adopted.

Mr. Sharma recognized there has been progress and acknowledged the spirit of cooperation and civility demonstrated throughout the negotiations, but he cautioned that “they are not there yet” on the most critical issues.

“There is still a lot more work to be done, and COP26 is scheduled to close at the end of tomorrow. Time is running out,” he told journalists, assuring them that negotiators are “rolling up their sleeves” to find solutions that have been elusive for six years right now.

“Negotiations on finance need to accelerate and they need to accelerate now,” he added.

The COP President also said, echoing Mr. Guterres’s words, that the world needs to rise to the challenge and increase ambition.