COP31 UN climate summit opens in Turkey amid coal reliance

The 2026 UN climate summit, COP31, has opened in Antalya, Turkey, with the host country pushing for global emissions cuts while remaining heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

Turkey’s energy mix and climate record

Turkey has approved more than 33 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage projects since 2022 that can power over 27 million homes. Wind and solar provide 22% of electricity in Turkey, up from 4.5% a decade ago. Solar increased from around 0.1% of total installed electricity capacity in 2014 to almost 21% at the beginning of 2026, according to Turkey’s resources and energy ministry.

Yet coal-fired electricity generation increased by roughly one-third in the last decade, and in 2024 overtook Germany and Poland, which previously had the highest coal power capacity in Europe before it began to decline. Turkey is among the few industrialized countries that is yet to commit to a phase-out date for coal. In June, Turkey announced plans to expand one of its largest coal plants and near double its capacity.

Turkey’s current climate target allows emissions to keep rising until 2038, meaning it will struggle to meet its plans to reach net zero by 2053, notes Climate Action Tracker, a climate research think tank.

The 35x35 electrification pledge

Turkey launched the “35x35” global electrification pledge in September, which aims to increase electrification of world economies from just over 20% today to 35% by 2035. The goal is for electrification to replace fossil fuels, including in transport, buildings and industry, and preferably using clean energy, though this is not mandatory.

Turkey’s mining threatens ancient olive grove heritage 05:01

Turkey COP31 president Murat Kurum will promote the 35x35 pledge in Antalya on both climate and energy security grounds.

"[The war in the Gulf] has shown us, once again, that fossil fuels do not guarantee energy supply security," he said earlier this year at a UN climate meeting in Bonn, Germany. "Investment in alternative energy sources, in particular to support energy diversity, means stability, resilience and clean development."

But despite the rhetoric, Climate Action Tracker says that under Turkey’s National Energy Plan, the COP31 host is only on track to electricify around 25% of total energy consumption by 2035.

Broader summit context

Countries concerned about global warming say they will have to “fight back against the climate deniers” as the UN COP31 talks kick off in Turkey this week against a “terribly difficult backdrop.”

Scientists have linked climate change to a catastrophic rock and glacier ice collapse in Nepal in August that left more than 1,000 people dead and around 5,000 missing, while extreme heat in Europe caused widespread drought and an estimated 50,000 excess deaths this summer.

A UN report in September warned that the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels would likely be breached within a few years.

Australia will oversee the official negotiated segment of the summit following an agreement with Turkey last year. Turkey, which is hosting COP31 and oversees the non-negotiated action agenda, has branded the summit an “implementation COP,” arguing countries have over the past decade agreed on much of the action needed to tackle climate change, and the focus now should be on putting these into practice.

Many ministers say they see this year’s summit in Antalya as a “transitional COP,” which could put the world back on a better footing ahead of the next stocktake of how countries are responding to climate change in 2028.

Why it matters

COP31 takes place as countries face wars, economic strain and the second energy crisis of this decade, while two UN reports warn of a lack of progress in tackling climate change. The summit’s outcome will test whether countries can move from commitments to implementation on emissions cuts, climate finance and the phase-out of fossil fuels.

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Sources

• dw.com: Turkey pushes for transition at COP31 as coal burns
• ft.com: ‘Terrible backdrop’ looms over UN climate summit in Turkey

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