COP31 - UN warns of another year of record temperatures

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the nations participating in the COP31 climate conference, held in Turkey, to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to secure the necessary funding for countries vulnerable to climate change. The first day of the meeting, taking place in Antalya, was marked by diplomatic tensions regarding the financing of adaptation measures, AFP reports. "Leaders at COP31 must rise to the occasion: they must cut emissions more rapidly, accelerate a fair transition away from fossil fuels, and provide vulnerable nations with the funding and protection they need," stated Antonio Guterres. The UN Secretary-General's appeal accompanied the latest report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-a specialized UN agency-which indicates that 2026 is part of a prolonged series of climate records, spanning temperature highs, glacial melting, and rising sea levels. According to the WMO, an exceptionally intense El Niño event is expected to drive up temperatures and exacerbate extreme weather phenomena through 2027.

• Disputes over climate adaptation funding

The start of the two-week negotiation period proved difficult. Delegations had failed to reach an agreement on the agenda prior to the official opening. "COP31 has had a difficult start," Jasper Inventor, head of the Greenpeace delegation, told AFP. According to him, European representatives are opposing the inclusion of provisions regarding finance on the agenda, as developed-nation governments are unwilling to accept new financial commitments. Conversely, African nations are calling for a tripling of funds earmarked for climate change adaptation-measures deemed essential to protect vulnerable states against droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. A representative of the European Union-the world's largest contributor to climate finance-stated that there is "no political will" to undertake additional financial commitments. Against this backdrop, the atmosphere at the exhibition center in Antalya is one of realism rather than optimism. The conference's primary objective is to translate commitments made at previous editions into concrete action.

• Climate catastrophes and economic pressures

The year 2026 was marked by a series of extreme events, including devastating floods in Nepal, heatwaves in Europe, and wildfires in Indonesia. At the same time, the energy crisis-exacerbated by the war in the Middle East-along with rising prices and the budgetary constraints faced by many governments, complicates the adoption of new climate measures. The scientific outlook remains concerning. In September, the UN warned that the planet remains on a trajectory incompatible with the core objective of the 2015 Paris Agreement, under which nations committed to efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

• Electrification: Another Sensitive Topic in the Negotiations

Turkey is hosting COP31 and holds the conference presidency, while Australia is leading the negotiations-an arrangement resulting from an unprecedented compromise regarding the organization of the summit. Ankara intends to make electrification one of the central themes of the conference. The proposed goal is to increase the share of electricity in global energy consumption to 35% by 2035, up from approximately 20% today. However, this initiative risks creating new rifts among the participants. The European Union advocates for electrification based on clean energy sources, excluding the use of coal, oil, or natural gas for electricity generation. Fossil-fuel-producing nations may express reservations regarding this approach. Another factor influencing the negotiations is the absence of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. The United States-the world's largest economy-ranks second globally in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, trailing only China.