Cop31 Host Says Summit Must Deliver Tangible Climate Progress

“A tangible outcome … that people can see is real,” is what the host of Cop31 said the summit must produce.

World leaders and representatives from nearly 190 countries gathered in Antalya, Turkey, for the United Nations climate talks starting Monday, The Guardian reported.

Friction is expected between rich and poor nations over who pays for climate crisis impacts and the slow pace of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Global temperatures have broken records this year, surpassing the limit of 1.5C above preindustrial levels aimed for in the Paris climate agreement, according to The Guardian.

Adão Soares Barbosa, chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group of 44 nations, said keeping 1.5C within reach and addressing loss and damage are matters of survival.

WMO is bringing the science on the state of the Earth’s climate to @turkiyecop31. From presenting on GHGs, heat & health, early warnings & El Niño response, to investments in Earth observations, WMO will put science at the heart of #COP31. Join us! 🔗 https://t.co/oPmoQ04xhg pic.twitter.com/sBbZjHnKaB

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Unusual arrangements place the summit in Antalya, Turkey, while formal negotiations are presided over by Australia following a compromise over competing bids. Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate and energy minister and president of negotiations for Cop31, told The Guardian that a tangible outcome focused on implementation is required.

Australia wants to elevate the plight of low-lying Pacific countries for whom the climate crisis poses an existential threat. Bowen noted that only 0.2% of the world’s available climate finance goes to small island developing states for adaptation.

Photo: Bloomberg.com

Climate advocates and more than 500 scientists in Australia argued that Australia must stop approving coalmines and gas projects to avoid charges of hypocrisy, The Guardian reported. Both presidency countries rely heavily on fossil fuels, with Australia ranking as a leading exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.

However, 20 Democratic members of Congress traveled to Antalya, buoyed by midterm successes that enable them to stymie attempts to dismantle pollution rules and withhold clean energy financial support, The Guardian reported.

What’s at stake at the UN Climate Conference in Türkiye? As world leaders, scientists, civil society representatives, activists & others are heading to Antalya, find out what to expect from #COP31.https://t.co/idOMTIgJeq

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The climate crisis is a double injustice. Between countries: those who have contributed the least to it are the hardest hit. Between generations: what we emit today will be paid for by our grandchildren. I’m heading to #COP31 with an urgent call for more #ClimateAction.

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World leaders are coming together at #COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, to turn climate commitments into action. As the world heads towards warming above 1.5°C, every fraction of a degree matters. Here's what to expect: https://t.co/T1nTiPezGs pic.twitter.com/n9tPGRk2s9

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