The United Nations secretary-general has once again called on nations to act to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. António Guterres spoke to reporters in New York Monday ahead of the COP28 U.N. climate summit, which opens later this week in Dubai. Over the weekend, Guterres visited Antarctica to witness firsthand “the deadly impact of the climate crisis.” Guterres warned sea ice along Antarctica’s coast is now 1.5 million square kilometers below average for this time of year, while southern sea ice is melting three times faster than the rate in the early 1990s.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “It is profoundly shocking to stand on the ice of Antarctica and hear directly from scientists how fast the ice is disappearing. … This year Antarctica’s sea ice hit an all-time low. That matters for us all. What happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica. We live in an interconnected world.”