UN Climate Summit Kicks Off After a Year of Deadly Extreme Weather

World leaders, climate scientists, and activists gathered in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday to talk about how to slow down climate change. The meeting is called the Conference of the Parties, or COP31. It comes after a year that saw dangerous heat waves in Europe, deadly floods in Nepal, and other extreme weather events linked to global warming. About 68,500 people are expected to attend the two-week event.

The summit is also taking place at a tense time for the world's energy supply. A war in Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route. That has pushed up prices for gasoline, oil, and products made from them, like fertilizers. Because of this, many governments are thinking harder about switching to cleaner energy sources like wind and solar power.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell opened the summit with a strong message. He said that COP31 must 'supercharge solutions' to the climate crisis. He pointed to cutting methane emissions as one important step. Methane is a gas that warms the planet much faster than other greenhouse gases, even though it doesn't stay in the air as long.

One of the biggest topics at the summit is a temperature goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. That agreement said the world should try to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above levels from the early 1800s. Scientists now say the world is very likely to pass that limit. Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum admitted this clearly, saying it is now beyond reasonable doubt that the world will overshoot the 1.5-degree target.

Minister Kurum has laid out what he calls an 'Action Agenda' for the summit. Instead of setting new goals, he wants countries to actually follow through on promises they have already made. The plan includes cutting methane emissions, building cities that can handle extreme weather, and increasing the use of renewable electricity from 21% to 35% by 2035. 'Success begins when our decisions reach that last mile,' Kurum said.

One of the hardest debates at the summit is about money. Poorer countries want wealthier nations to pay more to help them deal with the effects of climate change. These countries have done little to cause the problem but are often hit hardest by floods, droughts, and rising seas. 'Countries that did the least to cause this crisis shouldn't have to borrow their way through it,' said Meena Raman of the Third World Network.

Developing nations, including a 54-country African Group, are pushing for clear plans on how rich countries will provide promised funds. Wealthy nations from the European Union and Canada have pushed back on some of those proposals. This disagreement has blocked progress at past summits too. The last two COPs — in Brazil and Azerbaijan — ended with little agreement and were widely criticized.

The United States, the world's second-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution after China, is again absent from the talks. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of climate negotiations during his first term and did so again after taking office in January 2025. This leaves a major gap in global efforts to fight climate change. Other countries must now decide how to move forward without U.S. involvement.

This year's summit has an unusual setup, with Turkey and Australia hosting it together after both countries competed to be the host. Turkey is the official host, while Australia is leading the negotiations. Both nations have faced criticism for still relying heavily on coal. Even so, climate chief Stiell said he remains hopeful that COP31 will make meaningful progress.