The next 12 months will be pivotal in the battle for the climate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said today, quoted by the DPA.

At the Madrid International Climate Conference Guterres emphasized that the world is getting hotter and this is happening much faster than people have imagined. The irreversible turning points are quite visible and approaching at lightning speed, he warned.

Guterres noted that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius - one of the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement - is still achievable, but added that humanity is lagging behind.

To stop global warming above this value, we will need to take action, including not building new coal power plants beyond 2020, and forcing countries and entire industries such as shipping to commit to carbon-neutral over the coming decades, the gSecretary-General of the United Nations said.

Guterres called for "more ambition, more solidarity and more urgent action".

In a study released yesterday, the World Economic Forum (CIF) joined calls for governments and companies to reduce their emissions.

The study shows that so far, only 67 of the 193 UN member states responsible for less than 15% of global emissions have committed to reducing their carbon footprint.

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