I’m delighted to be back in India.  I’ve had very productive talks with ministers and business leaders over the past two days, with more coming up. A constant theme runs through the discussions:   Climate action is game-changing for India, its economy and its people.   I'm from the Caribbean – a fellow cricket-loving region, so let me use an analogy:  India’s clean energy growth is like Sachin Tendulkar and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ...  rolled into one: a stellar record, but the story is just getting started – and if India keeps doubling down on renewables and clean tech, the next chapters promise to be truly extraordinary. Decarbonisation is central to India’s impressive development strategy. Which is forging a new path for others to follow.  And fossil-fuel-free power now makes up half of India’s installed capacity – a milestone you've hit five years early.  Credit goes to the Modi government, working with India’s people and businesses.   India’s EV sales are growing – led by national champions like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and JSW MG Motor India. And solar installed capacity has surged more than 50 times since 2014. India is now a solar superpower – that has turbocharged your economy, pushed up living standards, and – along with other renewables – saved you US$18 billion in fossil fuel purchases last year alone – according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. India’s solar manufacturing capacity has increased 75-fold since 2014. New data from IRENA shows India is currently the most competitive solar market in the world on generation cost, producing cheaper power than any other major economy. India is a leader in a global trend.  As every nation declared unanimously at COP30, the global energy transition is now irreversible. Last year, over US$2 trillion was invested in clean energy. Globally, clean energy, infrastructure and services are the next industrial revolution.  Nationally, they are the fast track for India to cement itself as a global economic giant. And it makes total economic sense to move even faster to clean energy – in India and around the world.  Conflict has exacted a terrible human toll, and sent fossil fuel cost chaos reverberating through the global economy.  And tragically it’s not over yet. The brutal costs of fossil fuel imports have hit all nations hard, including India, which imports 90% of its crude oil. For all nations, oil and gas import vulnerability means supplies disrupted and prices rising when crises hit.   That means fuel and fertiliser supplies constricted. And higher bills for businesses everywhere, and billions of households across the globe.  Global heating compounds these pressures. And it’s inflicting large-scale suffering across every region of the world, including Asia,   where devastating heat is claiming lives and livelihoods.Monsoon rains are lacking, and El Niño is biting, threatening harvests with failure, and households with rising costs.  Clean energy and resilience are vital parts of the solution.  And – as in all countries – the faster and stronger your climate action, the more lives and livelihoods will be protected, as climate-driven disasters get rapidly worse, and  the greater the dividends for India’s people, businesses and national finances.  Accelerating the shift to clean energy – and reducing dependence on coal – means cleaner air in towns and cities, boosting the health of millions of people. That can deliver major budget savings, and higher productivity, supporting even stronger economic growth.  As Minister Pralhad Joshi has said, renewables mean lower bills, and greater energy security – which can enhance food security and health. Clean technologies protect households and businesses from fossil fuel cost chaos, and boost economic stability, and national sovereignty. Every step towards electrification means greater autonomy – helping to free India from volatile international energy markets, spiralling costs, and the whims of foreign powers waging unpredictable wars.  Every solar panel installed moves India closer to energy independence and even greater economic strength. Colleagues, friends, The world has reached an historic point on climate. Because humanity continues to burn vast amounts of coal oil and gas, we are hurtling towards negative tipping points for our climate, and the ecosystems we depend on.   But we are also hurtling towards positive economic tipping points, in the shift from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy.  This is reshaping the global economy. And in the global clean energy race, India has powerful competitive advantages – particularly your tech-savvy workforce.  You can seize the opportunity, by  entrenching India as a clean tech manufacturing hub for the world.By positioning yourself as a leader in areas of comparative advantage – from electro-tech to green steel. And by supercharging clean energy investment – including in grids and storage – and electrifying India's economy – generating jobs and even stronger growth.  UN-convened climate cooperation can help India bank these benefits.  Over the years, climate multilateralism has unleashed the global energy revolution, which last year saw renewables overtake coal as the world’s top electricity source.  Today, the COP process is boosting its focus on implementation, to turn commitments into projects on the ground, and more real-world benefits for billions more people,  We have recently operationalised the UN carbon market – which can provide significant new funds for developing economies.  And we are elevating the Global Climate Action Agenda within our process.  This vital part of the Paris Agreement machinery brings together governments, business, investors, and civil society to turn climate targets into real-world results.  The Turkish COP31 Presidency has announced Action Agenda targets for this year.  That includes raising the share of final energy demand met by electricity to 35% by 2035.  This focus on electrification at COP31 is a clear opportunity for India: To build on the immense advances you have made – particularly on electricity access and clean cooking.  And to boost progress towards electrifying transport – including initiatives like Delhi’s new EV policy.  International climate finance is vital for developing countries.  All commitments must be honoured, and honoured in full.  Developed countries must triple adaptation finance and deliver $300 billion a year by 2035, as part of a clear pathway to $1.3 trillion a year.  And together, through international cooperation, we must continue to accelerate the global shift to clean, resilient economies.  India has long been a strong partner in climate multilateralism. And it’s entirely in your interests to continue engaging.  Almost eighty years since India won its independence, this nation has the chance to achieve full energy independence, and lock in a next generation of economic might.  I thank you.  [END]

I am delighted to see such broad participation in this chamber today.Civil society organizations, large and small. Women and young people, out in force. Voices from every region. You reflect the true spirit of “We the peoples”. And I commend your tireless, principled work. Pushing for peace. For human rights.  For equality. Calling for a revitalized multilateralism, with people at its centre. And demanding a more inclusive and effective United Nations. I hear you. We must renew our Organization to deliver better for people. That is why we launched the UN80 Initiative.Building on earlier reforms, it offers a bold set of proposals to make the UN more coherent, more fit for purpose, and more effective. It calls for change that is meaningful.Action that is concrete. And most of all impact that people can see, feel, and believe in - an impact that translates itself into more effective action in relation to the people we serve. UN80 is vital to our ability to succeed in an age of profound instability.Across our world, we see trust eroding and divisions deepening. Conflicts causing death and destruction on a shocking scale. Communities starved of resources for development and resilience. Climate action is delayed and climate justice is denied. And new technologies racing ahead without proper guardrails represent a threat to us all. These challenges are complex, but they point to a simple truth: The United Nations can only deliver on its promise if we dare to evolve.Renewal means earning trust through results, and that’s what UN80 is all about.Above all, it must strengthen our ability to realize existing commitments. I am thinking of commitments like the Sustainable Development Goals.The SDGs are our shared promise to people and planet.And the focus of the High-Level Political Forum now underway. But with less than five years to go, just 36 per cent of the targets are on track or making moderate progress, and 15 per cent have gone into reverse. We must correct course and pick up the pace. UN80 can help through stronger coordination and enhanced country-level delivery. I am also thinking of commitments like the Pact for the Future, our global pledge to tackle shared challenges together. The Pact spells out concrete actions to turbocharge the SDGs, which I believe you are fully aware of. These include urgent steps to strengthen peace and security. Accelerate sustainable development and tackle climate change. Share the benefits of science and technology more equitably, while reining in the risks. Empower youth and future generations. And transform global governance, so it’s more inclusive and effective.UN80 puts us in a much stronger position to deliver on these commitments. Through greater efficiencies.  Stronger synergies within and across pillars.  Easier access for our partners.  And closer proximity to those we serve. I will never forget the pivotal ways civil society has already moved the needle. Driving local action to advance the SDGs. Bringing energy and ideas when we met two years ago in Nairobi. Building momentum ahead of the Summit of the Future. Persuading Member States to approve the Pact. And supporting its implementation on the ground. Because of you, we have made real headway despite fierce geopolitical headwinds. And you remain indispensable. As a partner bringing frontline knowledge and capacity. As a watchdog strengthening accountability and demanding follow-through. And as a bridge connecting global decisions with local realities. With your continued meaningful engagement, we can turn ambition into action – and action into impact. UN80 will only succeed if it strengthens our ability to deliver on the SDGs, implement the Pact for the Future, and work in partnership with civil society. And how we work together truly matters. You have shown us that genuine engagement must be structured, sustained, and linked to decision-making. That means moving from participation to partnerships, and from consultation to co-creation. And that is why we are strengthening our Interagency Civil Society Focal Point Network, to better facilitate our work together.  And soon they will cover the whole of the UN system and all our Agencies, Funds and Programmes and other UN institutions. I am honoured to join this dialogue with civil society leaders from so many regions and constituencies. I am eager to hear your priorities, your proposals, and your concerns. I think probably people told you that you should ask me questions.  I would strongly suggest that you can ask me all the questions you want.  But beyond asking questions, please tell me what you think is wrong in what the UN is doing and what we should do in order to correct it and how we can improve how we deliver to the people we care for.  So don’t worry with the script.  The script can be changed at any moment.  Please do spontaneously what you believe I need to hear, independently of the questions that you consider you would need to ask.I indeed welcome your ideas for strengthening our cooperation. Multilateralism works best when it draws on the collective strength of all key partners, including civil society. Only together can we build a peaceful, just, and sustainable future for all. Thank you very much for your patience.  [END]

It is a pleasure to be in Shanghai.I thank the China Meteorological Administration and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for convening this forum.The Forum shows one of the clearest ways AI can serve humanity: by helping save lives.The climate crisis keeps accelerating.The last 11 years were the hottest ever recorded.Scientists now expect a temporary overshoot of the 1.5-degree limit.We must keep it as short and small as possible.By drastically reducing emissions this decade.And by accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels to renewables.Every fraction of a degree matters.And so does every hour of warning.As we meet, an El Niño is gathering strength in the Pacific.Floods, storms, wildfires and droughts will strike even harder.Yet the world remains woefully unprepared.Many countries still lack the most basic protection – systems that warn of approaching danger.Hundreds of millions of people are exposed, overwhelmingly in the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.It is a profound injustice that those who did the least to cause this crisis are the least shielded from its impacts.Adaptation is a lifeline.Yet adaptation finance remains a fraction of what vulnerable countries need.Developed countries have a duty to close that gap – with support that matches the scale of the crisis.I launched the Early Warnings for All initiative to help ensure every person on earth is protected. The same objective is promoted by China’s action plan on early warning for climate change adaptation, and by this fantastic AI instrument of the CMA, that is called MAZU.Early-warning systems are the most cost-effective protection against climate disaster.Where coverage is comprehensive, disaster deaths are at least six times lower.  A timely warning is the difference between an evacuation and a tragedy.128 countries now have multi-hazard early-warning systems – more than double since 2015.  But one-third remain unprotected.We urgently need to accelerate – and artificial intelligence can help.It can deliver faster, earlier warnings, and alerts people can receive, understand and act on.A city that opens cooling centres before the heatwave peaks.A fishing village that brings its boats ashore.A farmer who plants differently after being warned the rains will fail.To succeed, technology must be rooted in equity.I see three tests for AI in early warning.First – observations and data.No matter how powerful technology becomes, artificial intelligence cannot compensate for missing data.The entire African continent has fewer stations meeting the standards of the Global Basic Observation Network than some individual European countries.Without these basic observations, forecasts suffer and lives are at risk.Our Systematic Observations Financing Facility exists to close these gaps.And weather and climate data must be treated as a global public good.Second – capacity and trust.The countries most vulnerable to climate disasters often have the least access to these technologies.This must change.They need the capacity to develop, operate and sustain these systems.Warnings must reach every person at risk.In languages they understand.Through channels they can trust.Third – responsibility.Artificial intelligence must help solve the climate crisis – not deepen it.Its appetite for electricity, water and land is growing fast.I have called on every major AI company to power its data centres with renewable energy by 2030, and to disclose its full environmental footprint.Technology aimed at protecting people must also protect the planet.Dear friends,Early Warnings for All demands a step change in international cooperation, for the protection of people and property.China has been an important partner.Its platforms, satellites and AI models are already helping dozens of countries strengthen early-warning systems.These tools are built with other developing countries, as partners – drawing on local data, so nations can issue their own warnings.And the tools unveiled here today will widen that reach further.This is the model the world needs – with technology transfer, joint research and local capacities helping countries protect their people.Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,Early-warning systems are an economic imperative.A development imperative.A security imperative.And above all, a matter of climate justice.The technology is here.I was amazed today with the demonstration I had at MAZU in the other building, where the Conference was opened.The partnerships are growing, and we have seen it here in this Conference.Now let us match them with the urgency and investment this moment demands.And deliver early warnings for all, everywhere.Thank you.[END]

Thank you very much for your kind invitation and your warm hospitality in the wonderful city of Shanghai.Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,Artificial intelligence can be humanity’s greatest opportunity in the 21st century.It could also become one of its greatest risks.As the Conference theme reminds us, a brighter future depends on partnerships.  And I thank China for bringing us together in that spirit.The launch by President Xi in 2023 of the Global AI Governance Initiative was a very strong message of Chinese commitment and leadership, and WAICO is its natural development.Partnership is also at the centre of the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN General Assembly – with the full support of China.The Compact made it clear:  Technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all humanity.  It cannot be governed by a handful of countries or a handful of companies.Every nation needs a seat at the table.  And the table has now been built through the Global Dialogue on AI Governance – as called in by the Compact.The first such Dialogue, held this month in Geneva – and informed by the Independent International Scientific Panel – carried an overriding message:  Technology must serve people – not the other way around.Few areas hold greater promise for our common future than the application of AI to sustainable development.AI can accelerate medical breakthroughs.Transform education.  Strengthen food systems and agricultural productivity.  Spur new industries and create decent jobs.In short, AI can help usher in a quantum leap across the Sustainable Development Goals.But it won’t happen if the historical injustices of the past are repeated in the technologies of the future.And yet one-third of humanity is still offline.
           
Many countries continue to face gaps in connectivity, infrastructure and energy access.Computing power, data resources and technical expertise remain concentrated.Hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment flood into artificial intelligence – while many developing countries receive just a trickle.AI risks pushing the world towards even greater inequalities … greater divides in income, in opportunity, in security … greater gaps between North and South.We cannot let that happen.  The challenge before us is to ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a force for greater inclusion and shared progress.China has an essential role to play – and so do all of us.I am encouraged that over 20 countries -- including China -- have already responded to my invitation and nominated centres to a UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building at the service of developing countries.And I will also soon put forward recommendations for a Global Fund for AI with the same purpose.I ask for your full support for both initiatives.As we look ahead, let me highlight three priorities to help ensure all countries can benefit from the AI revolution.First – capacity.Developing countries bring enormous assets to the age of AI.Talent.  Ideas.  Young, dynamic populations.Every country should be able to shape this technology to its own needs: with its own skills, its own data, in its own languages.At the United Nations, China helped advance the first General Assembly resolution on AI capacity-building, adopted by consensus.And developing countries deserve support to build that capacity.The platforms and tools discussed here in Shanghai show what partnership can deliver.Technology built with developing countries, for developing countries.And that means open models countries can adapt.The open source strategy of China is an enormous global success.Computing power they can afford must be provided.And training for the people who will use them.Second – safety.Systems that cross borders need standards that cross borders.We need common approaches to testing, risk assessment, and responsibility.We need governance that is inclusive, networked, and anchored in international law.Human rights must be protected.Humans must keep control over every life-and-death decision.And no AI system should be put in a child’s hands before it has been proven safe.And third – sustainability.AI can help speed the energy transition – managing grids, integrating renewables, cutting waste.But its growing demands for energy, water and land must be brought into the open.I call on every major AI company to disclose the full environmental footprint of their systems – and power them with renewables by 2030.Several countries – and mainly China – already require data centres to use more renewable power every year.I ask all governments to follow this example – and make clean power for AI part of their national energy plans.
The defining question is not whether artificial intelligence will transform the world. It will.The defining question is whether that transformation will reduce inequalities or reinforce them.Whether it will concentrate power or expand opportunity.Whether it will bring the promise of progress for every country – or only to those already at the front of the pack.This is a test of technology – and a test of solidarity.  Let us pass the test as partners for a brighter future – and make AI a force for dignity, opportunity, and sustainable development for all.And I thank you.[END]