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WASHINGTON — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that countries are “sleepwalking into climate disaster” if they continue to rely on fossil fuels, making things worse for nations racing to replace Russian oil, gas and coal with their own dirty energies.

Mr Guterres said the ambitious promises made by world leaders at a climate summit in Glasgow last year were “naive optimism”. Nations are by no means close to the goal of limiting the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. That’s the threshold that scientists say increases the likelihood of catastrophic effects dramatically. The planet has already warmed an average of 1.1 degrees Celsius.

And pollution continues to rise, which is warming the planet dangerously. Global emissions are expected to increase by 14 percent in the 2020s and Emissions from coal continue to risesaid.

“The 1.5 degree target is on life support. He is in intensive care,” he said.

“We are sleepwalking into climate disaster,” he said. “If we go on with more than the same, we can kiss 1.5 goodbyes. Even 2 degrees can be out of reach. And that would be a disaster.”

Mr Guterres’ speech comes as the European Union tries to find ways to do this. Reducing its dependence on Russian oil and gasand countries such as the United States are scrambling to increase fossil fuel production to stabilize energy markets. President Biden and European leaders have said short-term needs won’t overturn their long-term vision of switching to wind, solar and other renewable sources that don’t generate dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.

But the UN secretary general said he feared the strategy would jeopardize the goal of rapidly reducing fossil fuel consumption. Keeping the planet at safe levels means reducing emissions worldwide by 45 percent by 2050, the scientists said.

In Glasgow in November, world leaders pledged to halt climate change and for the first time planned to “progressively reduce” coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. Leaders from 100 countries Promised to stop deforestation by 2030, a movement considered vital as trees absorb carbon dioxide. The United States, Europe and nearly 100 other countries also said they would make cuts. methane emissions 30 percent by 2030. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas produced from oil and gas operations.

But Mr Guterres said almost no progress had been made. In addition, the richest countries most responsible for polluting the planet said they are failing to meet their obligations to help the poorest countries, already “pushed” by high inflation, rising interest rates and debt, to develop clean energy.

It also warned: Russian invasion of Ukraine It boosts global energy markets and further undermines climate targets.

“While major economies are pursuing the ‘all above’ strategy to replace Russian fossil fuels, short-term measures can create long-term dependence on fossil fuels and close the window by 1.5 degrees,” Guterres said.

He warned that countries may become so focused on the urgent need to fill the oil, gas and coal gap that they will “neglect or kneel on policies to reduce fossil fuel use.”

“This is madness,” he said. “Dependence on fossil fuels is mutually assured destruction.”

Last week, the International Energy Agency warned that the world is facing its first global energy crisis, and suggested that major economies are saving energy by implementing 10 strategies, from car-sharing to traveling by train instead of plane.

In his speech, Mr. Guterres said that in order to completely eliminate the coal infrastructure of rich countries by 2030, other nations must finish it by 2040. He called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and a halt to exploration for new oil and gas. Mr. Guterres also said that private sector financing for coal must end.

“Their support for coal is not only costing the world climate goals,” he said. “It’s a stupid investment – it leads to billions of dollars in stranded assets.”

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents oil and gas companies, said in a statement that the industry could “responsibly develop America’s vast resources while simultaneously reducing emissions to address climate change.”

President Biden has promised a rapid clean energy transition in the United States, but it hasn’t started yet. The Build Back Better Act, the legislation he advocated to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, was stalled in Congress. Meanwhile, plans to halt new oil and gas leases have faced challenges in the courts.