"WASHINGTON - The U.N. secretary-general on Wednesday called for a global coalition to speed the deployment of battery technology, urging countries to ease intellectual property constraints to hasten the transition from fossil fuels and combat climate change.

Antonio Guterres' plea comes as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual report, which found that four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea-level rise, ocean heat and acidification – set new records in 2021.

In video remarks released alongside the WMO State of the Climate, the top U.N. official called the report "a dismal litany of humanity's failure to tackle climate disruption" and laid out five actions that governments need to take to "jumpstart" the energy transition."

Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters May 18, 2022. [2]