COP31 opening delayed as finance talks stall in Antalya
The COP31 opening in Antalya is delayed by an hour and a half, while negotiators continue to argue over placing climate‑finance items on the agenda. UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres urges faster emissions cuts and a just transition, and UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell says progress is far from sufficient. The summit begins amid record heat, extreme weather events and AI‑driven energy demand, with Turkey’s presidency pledging to electrify over a third of the global economy by 2035. African nations push to triple adaptation finance.
Key facts
- Opening remarks warned that climate‑driven disasters threaten lives and the global economy.
- The UN seeks to meet a $1.3 trillion annual climate‑finance roadmap outlined at Baku‑to‑Belem.
- AI and data centres increase electricity and water use but can also improve energy‑system efficiency.
- Greenpeace head Jasper Inventor described the start of COP31 as already difficult.
- A glacier collapse in Nepal caused a flood that killed more than 1,450 people.
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Why it matters
Finance decisions will shape support for vulnerable nations facing escalating climate impacts.
What changed
First published from DW, Al-Monitor, Tagesschau, The Guardian and Rappler