It is time for maximum ambition and maximum flexibility, the UN head told reporters in a clear call for concrete solutions as negotiations at COP28 intensify.

“Our planet is minutes away from midnight,” he added in reference to the 1.5-degree increase limit set in the Paris Agreement.

Guterres called for maximum ambition and maximum flexibility to rise to the challenge posed by the climate crisis. “Ministers and negotiators must move beyond arbitrary red lines, entrenched positions and blocking tactics,” he said.

However, the incumbent warned that any compromise to find solutions must not come at the cost of compromising science or the need for greater ambition.

In a fractured and divided world, COP28 can demonstrate that multilateralism remains our best hope for addressing global challenges, he said.

ef/abo/mem/ebr