The winter of global discontent is just around the corner, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said as he opened the annual General Assembly, AFP reported.

"Trust is crumbling. Inequalities are exploding. Our planet is burning. People are hurting – with the most vulnerable suffering the most. The United Nations Charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy. We have a duty to act," he said.

With global temperatures rising and parts of Pakistan the size of the United Kingdom recently under water, Guterres lashed out at fossil fuel companies and the suicidal war on nature.

He called on all developed economies to tax profits from fossil fuels and direct the money both to compensate for climate change damage and to help people struggling with high prices. "Polluters must pay," Guterres said.