UN Chief Guterres: Clean Energy Future "Within Reach" with System-Wide Shift

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during his visit to India, stated that a clean energy future is achievable but requires a comprehensive transformation away from fossil fuels. He also addressed the Global AI Impact Summit, advocating for international, science-based governance to ensure AI serves humanity. Guterres highlighted the UN's newly formed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, designed to provide a shared, evidence-based analysis for global coordination. The summit in New Delhi gathered global policymakers and experts to advance discussions on artificial intelligence.

Key Points: Guterres in India: Clean Energy Future Needs Transformation

  • Clean energy transition needs systemic change
  • AI governance must be science-led
  • UN forms independent scientific AI panel
  • International cooperation is currently strained
3 min read

"The clean energy future is within reach," says UN General Secy Antonio Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meeting Indian leaders, calls for a system-wide shift from fossil fuels and science-led AI governance for global good.

"The clean energy future is within reach - but we need a system-wide transformation to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels. - Antonio Guterres"

New Delhi, February 23

United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres met with Indian leaders from the renewable energy ecosystem in the national capital while on a visit to India for the AI Impact Summit.

In a post on X, he wrote, "I recently met with leaders from across India's renewable energy ecosystem, listening to different perspectives from industry, finance, policy & civil society. The message was clear: The clean energy future is within reach - but we need a system-wide transformation to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels."

During his visit to India, Guterres also held bilateral talks with Prime Narendra Modi in the national capital and also met President Murmu.

Guterres called for utilising Artificial Intelligence for global good and mitigate challenges being faced by humanity. He urged countries to come together and prepare, protect, and invest in people. Today international cooperation is difficult. Trust is strained, and technological rivalry is growing.

He made the remarks while speaking at the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 here in the national capital on the role of science in international AI governance.

"We are barrelling into the unknown. AI innovation is moving at the speed of light, outpacing our collective ability to fully understand it. If we want AI to serve humanity, policy cannot be built on guesswork. It cannot be built on hype or disinformation. We need facts we can trust and share across countries and across sectors. Less noise, more knowledge", he said.

Guterres highlighted the steps taken by the United Nations around AI noting the recently formed AI Panel.

He said, "The United Nations is building a practical architecture that puts science at the centre of international cooperation on AI. And it starts with the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. This panel is designed to help close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies so countries at every level of AI capacity can act with the same clarity. It is fully independent, it is globally diverse, and it is multidisciplinary because AI touches every area of every society. And I'm delighted that the General Assembly of the United Nations confirmed the 40 experts I proposed to Member States. Now the real work begins on a fast track to deliver a first report ahead of the global dialogue on AI governance in July. The panel will provide a shared baseline of analysis, helping member states move from philosophical debates to technical coordination, and anchor choices in evidence."

He called science-led governance an accelerator for solutions and a way to make progress safer, fairer, and more widely shared.

The India AI Impact Summit had brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators and civil society from across the world at New Delhi to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good words, but the transition needs to be fair. What about the millions whose jobs depend on coal? We need a just transition plan that retrains and redeploys our workforce. The government must ensure no one is left behind.
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Arjun K
"Less noise, more knowledge" - perfectly said! So much hype around AI causing fear. Using it to model climate impacts and optimize renewable energy deployment is the way forward. Glad India is hosting these global conversations.
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Sarah B
The international cooperation part is worrying. With so much geopolitical tension, will countries actually share the AI knowledge needed to fight climate change? Hope the UN panel can build that essential trust.
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Karthik V
We have the sun for 300 days a year! The future is here, we just need better storage solutions and smarter policies to bring down costs for the common man. AI can help predict demand and reduce waste. Let's do this!
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Nikhil C
While I appreciate the sentiment, let's be realistic. The "system-wide transformation" he talks about requires massive investment. Are developed nations ready to fund this transition in developing countries like India at the scale needed? Talk is cheap.

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