A North Korean official said some countries are “gambling on the very fate of humankind” by using international climate action as a vehicle for political and economic gain, while calling for developed countries to double their financial commitments to addressing climate change.

Jong Myong Hak, a counselor at North Korea’s permanent mission to Geneva, made the remarks Wednesday during the 27th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt.

“Due attention should be paid to the attempts of certain countries to exploit the issue of responding to climate change for attaining their political goals and economic profits,” he said, stopping short