António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has issued a stark warning about the impact of climate change on Antarctica, calling it the "sleeping giant" now awakened by climate chaos.

During his visit to Antarctica this week, Guterres witnessed firsthand the consequences of climate change on the southernmost continent, primarily covered in ice.

Guterres emphasized the role of fossil fuel pollution in heating the planet, leading to climate disruptions in Antarctica, with the Southern Ocean absorbing the majority of the heat from global warming. He highlighted the accelerated melting of ice into the ocean, resulting in record rates of rising sea levels.

The UN Secretary-General pointed out that the effects of melting ice extend globally, posing threats to coastal communities, rendering homes uninsurable, and jeopardizing the existence of small island states. Antarctic sea ice, at an all-time low, recorded a decrease of 1.5 million square kilometers in September compared to the average for that time of year.

Guterres drew attention to the rapid melting of the Greenland ice sheet, losing more than 250 gigatons of ice annually, emphasizing that these developments have catastrophic implications worldwide. He urged world leaders attending the upcoming COP28 climate change conference in Dubai to take immediate action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The UN chief emphasized the need to protect communities from climate chaos and called for an end to the fossil fuel age, cautioning against allowing hopes for a sustainable planet to "melt away."

Guterres visited the Professor Julio Escudero research base to receive briefings from scientists on Saturday. (ILKHA)