The United Nations’ top climate official has urged negotiators at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey to avoid “tactical delays” that could jeopardize an agreement to halt global warming.
Representatives from more than 200 nations have gathered in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, with the central objective of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the city center, thousands of civil society and environmental activists from around the world protested against the consequences of climate change.
COP31: Can electrification replace fossil fuels?
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What did the UN climate chief say?
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), described reaching an agreement as “tough but vital work.”
“There is no collective success without compromise from every party,” he added.
“As we enter the second week, I urge all parties to move swiftly toward the most difficult issues and avoid tactical delays.”
Climate protest draws activists from around the world
Meanwhile, organizers say tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Antalya on Saturday to demand climate protection and human rights.
Many voiced frustration over the lack of progress and the way the climate crisis has been pushed to the sidelines.
“The pursuit of profit at all costs continues to set the global agenda and govern the trajectory of our world, so there is a need to push back,” South African environmental activist Zaki Mamdoo told DW.
Luisa Nebauer, lead organizer of Germany’s Fridays for Future movement, lamented that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other European leaders were absent from the conference.
“We will not have a chance to solve any of these crises as long as our planet is destabilizing by the hour,” Nebauer told DW. “We must show up!”
Turkish authorities permitted the rally to proceed, a notable decision in a country that frequently bans large public gatherings.
Running alongside the march, a parallel “People’s Climate Summit” involving hundreds of domestic and international civil society groups is taking place in Antalya this weekend.
As Turkey hosts COP31 its beaches are becoming too hot for sea turtles
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Climate crisis pushed down agenda
With inflation, wars, deindustrialization, and debt perceived as more immediate threats, many governments are diluting their commitments to the clean energy transition and to the billions of dollars required to help developing nations adapt.
The United States has boycotted the talks for a second consecutive year under President Donald Trump, who has dismissed climate change as a hoax and promoted the continued use of fossil fuels.
Delegates also face pressure from major fossil-fuel-producing nations to avoid setting stricter targets for a faster phase-out of oil and gas.
Climate advocates in Antalya are growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of commitment and delaying tactics that are preventing an ambitious deal.
COP31 seeks to unlock finance and investment, reduce the use of so-called super-pollutants such as methane, and ensure food security.
Turkey seeks electrification deal
Host Turkey is meanwhile advancing a plan to expand global electrification, though some environmental groups are disappointed that the proposal does not prioritize electricity generated from renewable sources.
A UN report issued last month warned that, within a few years, the world is set to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold established by the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Scientists widely regard this limit as critical to averting the worst effects of climate change.
According to Chris Bowen, Australia’s COP31 President of Negotiations, a first draft of the agreement text is expected to emerge next week.
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