On November 9, the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) kicked off in Antalya, Turkey, and will run until November 20. The forum is chaired by Turkey, with a special zone of about 1.1 million square meters prepared for the event. According to various estimates, between 91 world leaders and over 190 delegations are participating in the summit. The central task of the meeting, as noted by organizers and the Turkish agency Anadolu, is to move from declarations to the practical implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The 'One and a Half Degrees' Goal and Current Dynamics
Under the Paris Agreement, countries around the world agreed to prevent temperature rises from reaching 'two degrees, and preferably one and a half degrees' compared to pre-industrial levels. However, as noted in a UN review, the world is currently heading toward exceeding this threshold. This is precisely why COP31 is discussing how to transition from goal-setting to practical execution, including accelerating the transition to clean energy and shaping sustainable global climate policy.
Key Agendas: Financing and Emissions
Among the main issues of the conference are climate financing, necessary to achieve the 'one and a half degrees' goal, and emission reductions. Both points are explicitly written into the Paris Agreement, but according to participants, countries have yet to agree on how to implement them in practice. Fierce disputes have already erupted around these topics, as well as around Turkey's plans for the electrification of its economy by 2035.
A Conference Without the US
Representatives of the United States—the world's largest economy by nominal GDP—are not participating in Antalya. Incumbent President Donald Trump opposes the Paris Agreement. The US first announced its withdrawal from the climate accord in 2017 during Trump's first term; after Joe Biden came to power, the country rejoined the document. However, on the very first day of his second presidential term, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, depriving COP31 of the participation of a key party.
Delegation Positions and Contentious Points
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of disagreements on a number of topics. Russia, according to statements by its climate envoy, insists on 'technological transformation,' rejects a hasty abandonment of hydrocarbons and being coerced into the role of a climate 'donor,' and does not allow the 'seepage' of the gender agenda into climate talks. At the same time, a scandal surrounding methane emissions by the event's host itself—Turkey—is being discussed. Thus, COP31 is taking place under conditions where many participants view the Paris Agreement's goals of keeping warming within 1.5°C as effectively under threat.
