UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced a plan to accelerate the world's transition to renewable energy, saying the war in Ukraine was a signal to the world to move away from fossil fuels.

Speaking at the launch of the World Meteorological Organization's State of the Global Climate 2021 report, Guterres described the findings as "a grim list of humanity's inability to cope with climate disruption."

"We must end fossil fuel pollution and accelerate the renewable energy transition before we incinerate our only home," the UN chief said in his pre-recorded message. "Time is running out."

"Today's State of the Climate report is a dismal litany of humanity's failure to tackle climate disruption," Guterres said.