COP31 climate talks in Antalya draw nearly 200 countries, without US delegation
The COP31 climate talks are under way in Antalya, Türkiye, until 20 November, with nearly 200 countries taking part. The United States will not send a formal delegation.
- COP31 runs in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November.
- Nearly 200 countries are taking part; the US government is not sending a formal delegation.
- Energy transition was the focus on the second day, UN News reported.
The COP31 climate talks are being held in Antalya, Türkiye, between 9 and 20 November, and nearly 200 countries will take part, according to Scientific American.
UN News reported that the global energy transition took centre stage on the second day. Countries explored how to move away from fossil fuels, speed up clean energy and overcome financial and infrastructure barriers.
The United States will not take part as a country. Scientific American said the Trump administration will not send a formal delegation, after President Donald Trump formally pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement again in January, along with the body that governs it. US state and local representatives and US climate scientists plan to attend.
The talks open amid warming data. Scientific American reported that the UN recently announced the world will exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree Celsius aim. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said last October was the warmest October on record and that this year's average global temperature is virtually certain to exceed 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. The World Meteorological Organization predicts 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 will be the four hottest years on record.
The report also pointed to the energy situation. The war in Iran and the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz have cut off key sources of oil and natural gas and raised their cost. Some countries have turned to renewable energy in response, while others have returned to coal.
Scientific American also noted that floods in late August in parts of Nepal and Tibet killed at least 1,455 people, and that Nepal requested payment from the UN in response.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived on Tuesday, her first UN climate summit since the 2021 COP in Glasgow, and is expected to stay a few days. She said: "We should act to protect and benefit people rather than constantly sacrificing the global majority and the very planet we are all living on, for a fortunate few to keep making unimaginable profits and maintaining geopolitical power," according to The Independent.
Analyst Kate Guy said the leaders meet at a moment fraught along lines of energy, war, climate disasters and record temperatures. Rachel Cleetus said how much or how long the world will overshoot 1.5 degrees is still within its grasp.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 8 November that UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the moment critical for action on global warming. On 9 November it reported that negotiators remain divided over finance for developing countries and the move away from fossil fuels.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Pakistan is among the countries most exposed to climate disasters, so the outcome of the talks bears on its climate funding and risks. The finance dispute between developing and developed countries reported from Antalya is directly relevant to such funding. Higher oil and gas costs from the Hormuz blockade also matter locally, where petrol was PKR 346 a litre and diesel PKR 378 on 7 November.
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