BASSETERRE, St Kitts – AS the global community observes World Environment Day today (June 5), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is drawing attention to the mounting environmental challenges facing the world, particularly the severe impact on Small Island Developing States.
In a message marking the occasion, Guterres noted that the past 11 years have been the hottest on record, underscoring the accelerating environmental crisis. He stressed that the damage extends far beyond just rising temperatures, pointing to polluted air, degraded land, collapsing ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity.
“Harming health, destroying homes, and deepening hunger,” he said. “The world is heading for a temporary overshoot above 1.5 degrees Celsius. Every fraction of a degree brings greater harm - especially to the most vulnerable.”
The Secretary-General highlighted the need for keep overshoot as small, brief, and manageable as possible by rapidly reducing global temperatures through decisive action. This, he noted, includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, reducing methane emissions, and protecting forests, land, and oceans.
He also emphasized the importance of helping communities adapt to the impacts of climate change and urged developed nations to fulfill their climate finance commitments to developing countries.
“This is the moment to act—for our environment and for our future,” Guterres stated.
Meanwhile, UN Women is drawing attention to the disproportionate impact that climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are having on women and girls around the world.
According to the organization, environmental challenges are increasingly threatening food security, livelihoods, health, and personal safety, particularly for those living in vulnerable communities. It noted that women and girls often bear the brunt of climate-related disasters, including droughts, floods, crop failures, and water shortages.
UN Women’s analysis indicates that climate shocks are associated with increased rates of child marriage, while rising temperatures have been linked to higher risks of premature births and stillbirths.
The organization also highlighted the experiences of Indigenous and rural women, particularly those in Small Island Developing States and regions affected by desertification. While they are often among the first to feel the effects of environmental degradation, they are also leading efforts to protect ecosystems, strengthen food security, and build climate resilience within their communities.
With several major global discussions on climate change, biodiversity, and land restoration taking place this year, UN Women is urging governments and stakeholders to ensure that commitments translate into tangible benefits for women and girls.
The organization stressed that women’s leadership, rights, and participation must be at the center of environmental decision-making, supported by adequate financing and accountability mechanisms.
It also noted that the call to act “Now for Climate” is inseparable from the push for gender equality, emphasizing that climate-related crises often exacerbate gender-based violence and existing inequalities.
