COP31 climate conference in Antalya: no breakthroughs expected

The annual UN climate conference, COP31, has begun in Antalya, Turkey. Delegates from nearly 200 countries will meet until Friday, November 20, but experts do not expect any breakthroughs. According to conference president Murat Kurum, it is already clear that the 1.5-degree target cannot be met.

Crises weigh on the talks

Experts say global crises, from the war in Iran to the conflict in Ukraine, are putting pressure on the negotiations. The Iran war has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up oil and gas prices and disrupting supply chains. The Turkish presidency argues that electrification should be the answer to the current energy crisis, and expanding electricity generation from renewable sources will be one of the main topics of the meeting.

Assessments show that countries' current pledges are not enough to keep warming within the agreed limits. Even so, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), believes the conference “can help strengthen practical solutions.”

A row over money for developing countries

According to news agencies, part of the talks will focus on wealthier countries funding environmental measures in developing nations. The issue returns to the UN climate conferences year after year. Kurum recalled that at the 2024 conference, countries agreed on $300 billion a year (about CZK 6.5 trillion) from 2035. But disagreements remain, in particular over how the money should be delivered.

As last year, the American delegation is likely to be absent: the United States has not taken part in climate summits since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025. In the past, negotiations have often overrun their official deadline when countries failed to agree on the final text. After last year's diplomatic disputes, the leadership of the conference has been divided between Turkey, which holds the presidency, and Australia, which leads the negotiations themselves.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz