As the 81st UN General Assembly opens in New York, seven candidates are competing to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General when his second term ends — and their positions on climate change differ markedly. Leading after three indicative votes in the Security Council is Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, whose stated priorities are peace, security, and UN reform, while Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana has placed climate and food security at the top of her agenda; by contrast, Rafael Mariano Grossi — the Argentine who currently heads the International Atomic Energy Agency — made no mention of climate in his opening statement. Analysts note that candidates may be deliberately downplaying the issue to avoid a US veto under the Trump administration, which rejects the scientific consensus on human-caused warming, though experts warn the next Secretary-General, who takes office on 1 January 2027, will face unavoidable pressure from the General Assembly to act on a crisis reshaping the globe.