President Luong Cuong calls on countries to fulfill climate finance commitments

On September 24 (local time), the Climate Summit 2025 took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York (USA). It was co-chaired by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. President Luong Cuong led the high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend and deliver remarks at this important summit.

In his opening speech, the UN Secretary-General noted that clean energy is driving economic growth and sustainable development while creating jobs. He stated that if Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are fully implemented, the projected global temperature rise would be below 3°C, instead of 4°C as previously forecast. Mr. Guterres urged countries to put forward new, more ambitious NDCs.

"The science demands action. The law commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it," declared the UN Secretary-General in his opening statement.

Vietnam declared 5 strategic guidelines

He stressed the need to focus on five key areas: accelerating the transition to clean energy, cutting methane emissions, protecting forests, enhancing emission reductions in heavy industries, and ensuring climate justice, including securing green finance for developing countries.

As President of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), the Brazilian President affirmed that the upcoming COP30 will provide a platform for countries to engage in frank discussions on these issues, while calling on all nations to submit their new NDCs ahead of COP30.

Echoing the UN Secretary-General, delegates affirmed that green and low-carbon transition is a global trend; they called on developed countries to take the lead in emissions reduction and step up financial and technical support for developing nations.

In his remarks, President Luong Cuong emphasized that as one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, Vietnam is fully aware and firmly committed to the goal of sustainable development: balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and climate response. Vietnam continues to improve its institutions and policies, creating a comprehensive legal framework to advance green and just transition, enhance climate adaptation, and rigorously implement its commitments, while building resilience for vulnerable regions and communities.

To overcome climate challenges together, the President stressed that countries must fully and promptly honor their climate finance commitments, particularly in providing resources for a just transition, linked with social welfare, job creation, and support for workers and vulnerable communities.

To help developing nations narrow the gap, he called on the international community to intensify and make more substantive efforts in transferring advanced, clean, and efficient technologies to serve green and circular economy development.

The President underscored that the United Nations must continue to play a central role in fostering solidarity, cooperation, and trust-building, while ensuring fairness and justice, and realizing the objectives of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

He further called on developed countries to lead with strong commitments to emission reduction and financial and technological contributions, initiate and spread new initiatives and solutions, and foster dialogue and connections among countries, businesses, civil society, and people worldwide to take climate action together.

A decade of acceleration must begin in Belém

While today’s pledges mark progress, leaders acknowledged that ambition gaps remain to keep 1.5°C in reach and deliver on finance and adaptation. Solutions Dialogues held throughout the week by the United Nations and Brazil highlighted that the technologies and tools needed to decarbonize energy, transport, and industry, protect forests, and strengthen resilience are already available. The challenge now is to accelerate scale.

With COP30 just weeks away, the Secretary-General urged all countries yet to finalize their NDCs to do so without delay: "COP30 in Brazil must conclude with a credible global response plan to get us on track."

For the first time, several major economies including China – the world’s largest emitter – as well as Nigeria announced economy-wide emissions reduction targets covering all greenhouse gases and all sectors. Other nations detailed ambitious renewable energy goals, plans to curb methane emissions, strategies to safeguard forests, and measures to phase out fossil fuels.

Closing the Climate Summit, the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said, "Leaders across the world have stood together to show that even at a moment of division and uncertainty, the resolve and determination to fight the climate crisis is alive and strong."