Leaders urge climate action at UN

The UN's top diplomat told world leaders Tuesday that "the time has passed for diplomatic niceties" in dealing with the climate crisis.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General said "G20 leaders — in particular — need to deliver. The time has passed for diplomatic niceties. If governments — especially G20 governments — do not stand up and lead this effort, we are headed for terrible human suffering. But all countries need to realize that the old, carbon-burning model of development is a death sentence for their economies and for our planet."

The comments set the tone for the upcoming COP26 summit, a UN conference on climate change that will begin in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday. Leaders of pacific island nations spoke with as much ferver at Tuesday's meeting.