COP28’s Conflicts Are on Display at the UN General Assembly

As world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week, everyone seemed to agree on one thing: Climate change is among the biggest problems facing the planet. US President Joe Biden walked through a laundry list of climate calamities in his UN speech on Tuesday, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro said climate change “has shown its teeth like never before.” In passionate opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that the world has just survived its hottest summer on record.

But in hours of back-to-back speeches, UN officials and world leaders also offered ...