COP31 opened in Antalya, Turkey, on Nov. 9, bringing representatives from 196 countries together for climate negotiations. (Foto: Instagram)
The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP31, opened Monday, Nov. 9, in Antalya, Turkey, with representatives from 196 countries. Before the official start, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on participating leaders to meet the challenges ahead. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is also expected to attend.
“We are entering a new era of extreme weather events. An unusual El Niño is colliding with a planet already overheated by human-caused climate change,” Guterres said. He warned that the combined effects of weather patterns and human activity have pushed the planet into a new period of vulnerability.
The summit aims to use recent instability in oil and gas markets to build momentum for a global energy transition. But countries remain deeply divided over the future of fossil fuels and how quickly they should be phased out, setting up difficult discussions alongside the conference’s climate agenda.
Guterres’s remarks came as the World Meteorological Organization released its latest report on the state of the global climate. The report describes accelerating warming and says 2026 is part of an extended run of record-high temperatures. It also points to rapidly melting glaciers and the resulting rise in ocean levels.
The WMO document identifies an exceptionally strong El Niño episode, which it says could add to global warming and increase the frequency of severe weather events through 2027. Guterres urged leaders to cut emissions faster, speed up a fair transition away from fossil fuels, and provide vulnerable countries with the financing and protection they need.
Over the coming weeks, COP31 negotiations are expected to focus on new funding to address losses and damage in developing countries, as well as stricter guidelines for financing the shift to clean energy. The challenge facing delegates is to turn the warnings in climate reports into binding political decisions.
