U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned “the clock is ticking” as he took the stage earlier today at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “This is almost certain to be the hottest year on record and a master class in climate destruction — families running for their lives before the next hurricane strikes, biodiversity destroyed in sweltering seas, workers and pilgrims collapsing in insufferable heat, floods tearing through communities and tearing down infrastructure, children going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops. And all these disasters and more are being supercharged by human-made climate change. And no country is spared.”

As talks get underway at COP29, activists at the summit held a silent protest Monday after organizers barred them from chanting or making speeches on the streets outside the conference halls. After taking part in the protest, Filipino climate activist Lidy Nacpil addressed the challenges of the incoming U.S. administration.

Lidy Nacpil: “The U.S. is more of a problem than helping in any solution. This is going to get worse under Trump. We’ve seen it in his first presidency. So, I think the rest of the world needs to step up even more, if we’re going to have this very uncooperative United States.”