COP31 UN climate summit begins in Turkey with delegates from over 190 countries

Summit structure and participants

World leaders, ministers and senior officials from more than 190 countries are expected to meet in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November for COP31, the annual UN climate conference. Turkey is hosting the summit, while Australia will preside over the formal negotiations under a compromise reached after the two countries competed for the presidency. Nearly all of the 196 original signatories to the 2015 Paris climate agreement are expected to attend.

The United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump. The Guardian reports that the US will be absent, with several prominent members of the US Congress, businesspeople and US civil society groups potentially attending instead.

Key issues on the table

The Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels has been breached. The UN argues that rapid cuts to greenhouse gas emissions could limit the overshoot and allow temperatures to fall again by the end of this century. That would require countries to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and adopt low-carbon technologies faster.

Australia will lead negotiations on work programmes including a just transition, climate finance and efforts to keep temperature rises as close as possible to 1.5C. Turkey will oversee the voluntary, non-binding action agenda, which includes cutting waste, building a circular economy, reducing methane, improving food security and electrifying the global economy.

Developing countries need help to cope with worsening climate impacts. After the disaster in Nepal, the country was granted access to the global loss and damage fund, which supports the rescue and rehabilitation of communities hit by climate-related disasters. The Guardian says this is not enough, as poorer countries also lack the means to adapt infrastructure to worsening extreme weather. Rich countries have cut overseas aid, while higher interest rates have added to poorer countries’ debt.

At COP28 in 2023, the final agreement addressed fossil fuels directly for the first time, following long-standing opposition from producing countries. It included a resolution to transition away from fossil fuels but set no deadline or plan. Getting fossil fuels directly onto the COP agenda remains difficult because it requires consensus from nearly all parties. This year, the issue is expected to be addressed through a non-binding roadmap for the global transition.

What success could look like

Hopes for COP31 include acceptance of Brazil’s plans and a commitment to carry them forward, progress on climate finance for developing countries, a resolution to the dispute over climate science that has troubled recent meetings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and more detail on a just transition mechanism to help workers dependent on fossil fuels adjust to a low-carbon economy. But geopolitical tensions, inflation and the rise of the far right could lead countries to settle for a low-key meeting.

Progress could also come outside formal negotiations. Earlier this year, more than 60 countries, including the UK, the EU and dozens of developing nations, met in Colombia and pledged to transition away from fossil fuels. The coalition could gain members at COP31.

Why it matters

COP31 will launch the second global stocktake, the Paris Agreement’s formal process for assessing collective progress towards its long-term goals. The summit places particular emphasis on implementation, with Türkiye promoting initiatives on clean energy, food security, resilient cities, greener industries, oceans and waste reduction. UN Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart said there is sometimes an expectation that COPs will always produce a grand deal that solves the climate crisis, but that is not realistic.

Sources

• theguardian.com: Cop31: what is at stake at the UN climate summit and what can it achieve? | Cop31 | The Guardian
• mezha.net: COP31: what is at stake at the UN climate summit, and what could it achieve?
• inkl.com: Cop31: what is at stake at the UN climate summit and…
• un.org: COP31 explained: What's at stake at this year's UN climate summit | United Nations
• conservation.org: COP31, explained: What’s at stake at the climate talks | Conservation International

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.