Christiana Figueres · "We are not negotiating a climate agreement, we are negotiating the future of h..."

Speech at the 2014 UN Climate Summit in New York, USA · Checked on 5 March 2026

We are not negotiating a climate agreement, we are negotiating the future of humanity.

Analysis

The exact phrasing appears in multiple reputable transcripts and news reports of Figueres' remarks during the September 23, 2014 UN Climate Summit. The statement is a rhetorical characterization, not a factual claim about policy outcomes, and it accurately reflects her spoken words. No evidence contradicts the attribution.

Background

Christiana Figueres was the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2014 and a leading voice at the UN Climate Summit, urging global leaders to view climate action as existential rather than merely a treaty negotiation. Her speech emphasized the moral urgency of addressing climate change for humanity’s future. The quote has been widely cited in media coverage of the summit.

Verdict summary

Christiana Figueres did say, “We are not negotiating a climate agreement, we are negotiating the future of humanity,” at the 2014 UN Climate Summit in New York.

Sources consulted

— UNFCCC Press Release – “UN Climate Summit 2014: Remarks by Christiana Figueres” (Sept 23, 2014)

— Reuters article “Figueres urges world to act on climate, says future of humanity at stake” (Sept 23, 2014)

— The Guardian coverage of the 2014 UN Climate Summit, quoting Figueres’ speech