At COP28, UN chief warns world leaders ‘Earth’s vital signs are failing’

International climate talks turned to a power game on Friday as dozens of world leaders took turns bemoaning the pain of an overheating planet.

International climate talks turned to a power game on Friday as dozens of world leaders took turns bemoaning the pain of an overheating planet, but two of the world’s most powerful men – President Joe Biden of the U.S. and China’s President Xi Jinping – were glaringly absent.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, a top oil producer, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, whose biggest cities are regularly choked under poor air, as well as Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey were among more than 170 world leaders set to address the United Nations climate conference in Dubai over the next two days. The idea is to try to keep the planet from heating too much because of humankind’s actions.

In a fire-and-brimstone kicking off of Friday’s parade of VIPs, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, fresh from melting glaciers in Antarctica and Nepal said “Earth’s vital signs are failing” and told leaders, “you can prevent planetary crash and burn.”

He referred to inequality and conflicts, mentioning the return of bombing in Gaza Friday.

“Climate chaos is fanning the flames of injustice,” Guterres said. “Global heating is busting budgets, ballooning food prices, upending energy markets, and feeding a cost-of-living crisis. Climate action can flip the switch.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah said it was impossible to separate climate change from the war in Gaza.

“Climate threats magnify the devastation of war,” the king said. “Let’s be inclusive of the most vulnerable Palestinians severely impacted by the war.”

Still with all the problems of the world, “climate change stands out by far as the defining issue of our era,” Kenya President William Ruto said.