“The tide has turned for climate action — and there’s no turning it back.”
— Simon Stiell, UN Climate Chief
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell opened the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) in Bonn on Monday with a call for “unity of purpose” and real-world outcomes from the ten-day meeting, which sets the stage for the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, later this year.
Speaking to delegates from around the world, Stiell emphasized the vital importance of these mid-year negotiations in translating climate commitments into action. “The progress you make in the next 10 days makes a very real difference to billions of lives and livelihoods,” he said. “These sessions are where we move from concept to clarity.”
He highlighted recent progress achieved through multilateralism, noting that climate diplomacy under the UN framework has already helped avert the worst-case scenario of 5°C warming, though global temperatures still remain on a dangerous path toward 3°C. “1.5°C is still achievable,” he stressed, “and utterly essential.”
Key priorities for the Bonn talks include finalizing indicators under the global goal on adaptation, advancing the just transition work programme, and laying out concrete steps for mobilizing $1.3 trillion in climate finance. Stiell urged parties to move beyond technical debate and into “actionable solutions” under the Mitigation Work Programme and Global Stocktake.
He also flagged budgetary constraints threatening the UN climate process. “This approach is not sustainable,” he warned, urging nations to address funding shortfalls to ensure continued delivery on growing mandates.
As climate impacts worsen worldwide, Stiell reminded delegates that the world is watching. “Let’s show how we are rising to this moment,” he said, “with a unity of purpose that is stronger than ever, and laser-focused on real-world results.”
