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COP31 Opens in Antalya With the U.N. Chief Calling for a “Climate Justice Compact”
By Maya Wilson
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The United Nations chief opened the high-level political discussions at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday, November 11, calling for a new “Climate Justice Compact” as he warned that the world is running out of time to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The appeal came as world leaders gathered for an 11-day climate conference following a year of deadly floods, heatwaves and other disasters, with a new climate assessment warning that 2027 could become the hottest year on record.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the World Leaders Climate Action Summit that the window to keep warming within the 1.5°C threshold was closing rapidly. He urged governments to submit updated national climate plans, known as nationally determined contributions, aligned with that limit.
Guterres called for a tripling of renewable energy capacity and a doubling of energy efficiency by 2030, alongside a phase-out of fossil fuels. He also argued that the transition must be fair to workers and communities whose livelihoods are affected by changes in energy production and consumption, according to Anadolu Agency.
His proposed Climate Justice Compact would bring together demands for stronger emissions action and greater support for countries and communities facing the consequences of climate change. Guterres called on developed countries to deliver climate finance, including the goal agreed at COP29 of providing $300 billion annually by 2035. He also urged governments to make the Loss and Damage Fund operational.
The demands place financing and responsibility alongside emissions reduction at the centre of the summit’s opening political agenda. Developing countries have pressed for support to address climate impacts, while the U.N. chief’s appeal linked that support to a broader effort to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
The World Meteorological Organization’s latest State of the Climate report, released as the talks began, added urgency to the gathering. The assessment said 2027 could be the hottest year on record, with a strong El Niño expected, according to the Associated Press reporting carried by the South China Morning Post. The forecast is a warning about the potential conditions ahead, rather than a record already established.
The conference’s high-level segment runs Wednesday and Thursday, with dozens of leaders scheduled to speak. Among them are Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The diplomatic line-up is also notable for who will not attend. U.S. President Donald Trump is absent, as are the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only leader from a Group of Seven country scheduled to address the summit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to attend.
The opening also comes amid criticism that international climate negotiations have not moved quickly enough from pledges to implementation. Former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry called for a shift in emphasis, saying: “We don’t need more promises, we need plans.”
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, speaking on Tuesday, criticised the conference process as having become “greenwashed circuses” and urged continued mobilisation, according to AP reporting carried by the South China Morning Post. Her remarks reflected wider frustration among campaigners over the gap between international commitments and practical action.
Guterres’s call for a Climate Justice Compact seeks to put that gap at the centre of the summit: countries must strengthen their climate plans, accelerate renewable energy and efficiency, and provide financial support to communities facing climate damage. His appeal also set out a timetable, with key energy targets for 2030 and the $300 billion annual climate-finance goal for 2035.
The Antalya talks now move into their high-level discussions, with governments facing pressure to demonstrate how their commitments will translate into action. The U.N. chief’s warning was direct: the opportunity to hold warming to 1.5°C is narrowing, and the new compact he proposed is intended to connect climate ambition with justice for those bearing its costs.
— Maya Wilson, World Desk
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