COP31 opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on Nov. 9, bringing delegates into two weeks of talks amid warnings that efforts to limit warming are falling short and pressure to turn climate promises into action.
At the official opening, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged governments to turn climate targets into practical results. He said progress is not fast enough or fair enough. He called for action to provide adaptation funding and make existing funds easier to access.
He also called for more renewable energy and electricity grids, and for cuts to methane emissions. The urgency is greater because projections show the world is on track to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming limit, despite countries’ climate pledges. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also urged leaders to cut emissions faster.
He called for support for a fair transition away from fossil fuels, and for more funding and protection for vulnerable countries. The talks began amid disagreement over climate finance. Developing countries sought to put funding issues on the formal agenda.
Delegates are meeting after a year of deadly heat, major fires in Indonesia and catastrophic flooding in Nepal. The talks are also taking place during a powerful El Niño. Türkiye has presented COP31 as a summit focused on putting climate plans into practice.
Its main test will be whether negotiators can turn that goal into decisions and support that reach countries and communities.