The Secretary-General’s special address, ‘A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the New Energy Era‘ will be accompanied by the release of a special technical report prepared by the Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team with the support of UN agencies – including the ILO, funds and programmes as well as leading international institutions, synthesizing the latest available science and evidence on the progress, opportunities, and benefits of the emerging clean energy economy.
MEDIA ADVISORY
**9:00 AM EDT ON TUESDAY 22 JULY 2025**
A MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
SPECIAL ADDRESS ON CLIMATE ACTION
BY UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
UN Secretary-General Guterres to deliver landmark speech outlining the economic imperative and opportunity for the transition to renewable energy.
A hopeful story is emerging amidst the ongoing climate devastation and turmoil — that of the renewables revolution.
On Tuesday, 22 July, at 9:00 A.M. EDT, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will set out a compelling and evidence-backed case for why the renewables revolution is now inevitable, and the benefits that a just transition away from fossil fuels will bring to economies, energy security, and people’s well-being.
The Secretary-General’s special address, ‘A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the New Energy Era’ is a follow-up to his Moment of Truth speech last year, and will be accompanied by the release of a special technical report prepared by the Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team with the support of UN agencies, funds and programmes as well as leading international institutions, synthesizing the latest available science and evidence on the progress, opportunities, and benefits of the emerging clean energy economy.
| WHAT: | Special Address on Climate Action |
| WHO: | António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
Moderated by Shyla Raghav, Chief Climate Officer, TIME |
| WATCH: | Livestream: www.un.org/climatechange/moment-opportunity-2025 |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, 22 July 2025; 9:00 A.M. EDT |
| INFO: | The speech and the report will be available at www.un.org/climatechange/moment-opportunity-2025 |
Embargoed Background Press Briefing:
WHAT: Background press briefing before the Secretary-General’s
22 July speech
WHO: Selwin Hart, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special
Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action
Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Saied Dardour, Energy Specialist and author of IRENA’s Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2024 report, which is being released at the same time as the Secretary-General’s speech on 22 July and is cited in the speech and the UN report
WHEN: Monday, 21 July 2025, at 9:30 A.M. EDT (all information
shared in the briefing is embargoed until 22 July, 9 A.M. EDT)
WHERE: Videoconference; link to be provided upon RSVP
RSVP: This background briefing is open to invited press.
RSVP to donlon@un.org if you would like to attend the briefing.