---
title: "Head of UN Says Humanity Is Facing “Collective Suicide”"
description: "Amid heatwaves, drought, and floods, UN Secretary General António Guterres told state ministers that \"no nation is immune\" from the climate change crisis."
date: "2022-07-18"
modified: "2022-07-18"
authors:
  - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré"
    job_title: "Senior Staff Writer"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/un-head-humanity-collective-suicide"
categories:
  - "Climate Change"
  - "Environment"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "climate change"
  - "heatwaves"
  - "the digest"
  - "united nations"
---

# Head of UN Says Humanity Is Facing “Collective Suicide”

![Amid heatwaves, drought, and floods, UN Secretary General António Guterres told state ministers that "no nation is immune" from the climate change crisis.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/un-head-humanity-collective-suicide.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Getty Images\</em\>*

## Now or Never

It's been a troubling summer for the planet. Global [heatwaves](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/texas-power-plants-heat-climate>) — likely a result of [human-generated climate change](<https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62207466>), at least in part — have caused [several wildfires](<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/01/machu-picchu-fire-peru-wildfire>) and [deepened drought conditions](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/07/02/summer-2022-climate-change-heat/>) in some areas, while [extreme summer storms](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/weird-storm-turns-sky-green>) [threaten destructive flooding](<https://www.nbcmiami.com/weather/hurricane-season/after-mostly-quiet-start-important-weeks-in-22-hurricane-season-ahead/2806510/>) in others.

The urgency of the situation has not been lost on UN Secretary General António Guterres. In a [video message](<https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2022-07-18/secretary-generals-video-message-the-petersberg-dialogue>) to ministers from 40 different nations on Monday, the UN leader made his position on the ongoing climate crisis clear: nations have to take action immediately, or else.

"We have a choice," Guterres told the many state officials. "Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands."

## Getting Worse

According [to *The Guardian*](<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/18/humanity-faces-collective-suicide-over-climate-crisis-warns-un-chief>), the UN chief's remarks come during the [Petersburg Climate Dialogues](<https://unric.org/en/petersberg-climate-dialogue-starting-signal-for-un-climate-negotiations/>), a conference in Berlin focused this year on severe weather, fossil fuel and food prices, and the [not-so-distant consequences](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/terrifying-video-buried-avalanche>) of climate change — consequences that, as Guterres continued, every nation on Earth is or will be subject to.

"Half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires," said Guterres. "No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction."

But while the leader made it clear that everyone is at risk, he was careful to emphasize that underdeveloped countries — which are [far less culpable](<https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054809644/climate-change-cop26-loss-and-damage>) for the onset of the climate crisis than their developed counterparts — will likely be hit the hardest in the short term.

"People in Africa, South Asia and Central and South America are 15 times more likely to die from extreme weather events," Guterres added in the video. "This great injustice cannot persist."

The Berlin meeting is one of the last chances for key nations to hash out some final accordances before the [UN's Cop27 climate summit](<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/14/this-is-about-survival-will-cop27-bring-action-on-glasgow-climate-pact>), slated for Egypt this November. Hopefully, the UN head's statements landed — but at the end of the day, it's up to individual countries, especially those [most responsible](<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/11/12/climate/cop26-emissions-compensation.html>), to actually make some changes.

**READ MORE:** [*Humanity faces ‘collective suicide’ over climate crisis, warns UN chief*](<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/18/humanity-faces-collective-suicide-over-climate-crisis-warns-un-chief>) \[*The Guardian*\]

**More on extreme weather:** [*Texas Gets so Hot That Crypto Miners Call It Quits*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/texas-crypto-miner-quit-hot>)

## Author
At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride."

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/mharrisondupre.bsky.social>)