UN Chief warns of 'climate breakdown' in New Year messagebr br The world is facing a “climate breakdown," UN secretary general Antonio Guterres warned in his annual New Year speech released on Monday, December 30. br br Guterres said the 10 hottest years on record had happened in the past decade, including 2024.br br Scientists say halving planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is crucial to stop temperatures rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), which would unleash more extreme weather and heat.br br But the world is well off target and so extreme weather is expected to become more regular and intense in future.