COP31 Opens Amid Climate Setbacks and Energy Tensions
The 12-day United Nations climate summit in Antalya begins on November 9 after a year of deadly heat and devastating weather. Negotiators are expected to work on carrying out earlier climate commitments, rather than securing major new targets, as global emissions remain high and the world is expected to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree warming threshold.
Turkey’s environment minister and COP31 president, Murat Kurum, has said the summit should focus on turning existing promises into action. His proposed agenda includes cutting methane emissions, developing climate-resilient cities and increasing electricity’s share of energy use from 21% to 35% by 2035, preferably using renewable sources.
Fossil fuels are expected to be a major point of tension. Nations agreed at COP28 to transition away from coal, oil and gas, but subsequent summit agreements omitted mention of fuels. Disagreements between countries, including oil producers, have made it difficult to agree on next steps. The United States, the world’s second-largest polluter, will again be absent after President Donald Trump withdrew it from climate negotiations.
Delegates will also discuss funding to help poorer countries adapt to climate change and extreme weather. The UN estimates developing nations need $305 billion a year for adaptation but receive only a fraction of that amount. Higher energy prices after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have also pushed governments to reconsider energy policies and invest more in wind and solar. Turkey will host the summit, and Australia will steer the negotiations; both have faced criticism over reliance on coal.
COP31 Must Confront Fossil Fuels as Climate Damage Mounts
COP31 begins November 9 with the world on course to overshoot the 1.5-degree warming limit set under the Paris Agreement. After deadly heat in Europe and devastating floods in Nepal, delegates in Antalya face a central test: whether governments will turn old promises into action while emissions remain at record levels.
Turkey’s proposed agenda includes reducing methane, building climate-resilient cities and increasing electricity use from 21% to 35% by 2035, preferably through renewable energy. The summit must also address the transition away from fossil fuels, but agreements at the past two conferences omitted any mention of them, after countries failed to bridge divisions over how to proceed.
The United States will again stay out of climate negotiations after President Donald Trump withdrew it. Its absence comes as fossil fuel use grows and the energy demands of AI data centers rise. Climate envoy Jennifer Morgan has said some countries are trying to roll back attention to fossil fuels, with no replacement for the role the US once played in pressing oil-producing nations.
The costs of climate impacts also fall heavily on poorer countries, which receive just a small share of the estimated $305 billion required each year for adaptation. COP31’s negotiations on finance and fossil fuels will show whether governments can match the urgency of the damage with concrete action.
COP31 Meets as Energy Security Reshapes Climate Priorities
COP31 opens November 9 in Antalya amid a sharp reminder that reliable energy supplies matter: the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil and gas prices higher. Governments are reconsidering energy policies, while investment in wind and solar is being promoted as a way to reduce exposure to price volatility.
The summit’s agenda emphasizes implementing previous commitments, not setting new targets. Turkey’s COP31 president, Murat Kurum, has proposed measures on methane, climate-resilient cities and electrification, including a goal to raise electricity’s share of energy use from 21% to 35% by 2035, preferably from renewable sources.
But the talks unfold amid competing demands. Fossil fuel use has increased as technology companies seek energy for AI data centers, and oil-producing countries have resisted efforts to set out a path away from coal, oil and gas. The past two summit agreements did not mention fuels, despite the COP28 pledge to transition away from them. The United States, a major polluter, will again be absent after President Donald Trump withdrew it from climate negotiations.
The discussions will also cover funding for poorer countries facing climate impacts. The UN estimates they need $305 billion annually to adapt, but receive only a fraction. Turkey will host the summit, with Australia leading negotiations; both countries have faced criticism over their reliance on coal. The challenge is to pursue climate action without losing sight of energy costs, supply and practical implementation.
Reported by The Boston Globe, ClickOnDetroit WDIV, KPRC 2 Click2Houston, Semafor, Mother Jones, Breitbart.
