COP31 Opens in Antalya With Calls to Speed Climate Action

Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said in prepared remarks that no single COP could stop climate change overnight, but that each recent summit had made essential progress. He said COP31 would do so as well.

The Strait of Hormuz crisis and heightened geopolitical uncertainty form the backdrop to discussions among leaders and businesses on faster emissions cuts. The agenda includes accelerating electrification and reducing methane emissions. Stiell said fossil-fuel costs have driven up energy and transport expenses, while climate disasters are damaging lives and health, raising food prices and worsening hunger. “Now more than ever, the climate crisis and its causes are on every kitchen table,” he said.

A report released Monday by the World Meteorological Organization said 2026 was continuing a prolonged run of exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels. It warned that a very strong El Niño was set to bring more heat and extreme weather well into 2027. The WMO said 2026 would be one of the four warmest years on record and noted that El Niño events typically raise greenhouse gas concentrations. Their greatest effect on global average temperatures usually comes in the year after they develop.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on leaders to cut emissions faster, accelerate a just transition away from fossil fuels, and provide vulnerable countries with the finance and protection they need.