The COP31 climate talks opened Monday in the Turkish city of Antalya with an early dispute over money as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to “get serious” about tackling the crisis after a year of devastating weather extremes.
Thousands of participants gathered at a sprawling expo center in the Mediterranean city for the UN’s annual two-week climate conference.
The summit follows a year of punishing heat waves in Europe, major wildfires in Indonesia and catastrophic floods in Nepal, with an exceptionally strong El Nino weather phenomenon fueling further climate disruption.
“We have entered a new age of climate extremes,” Guterres said in a statement.
He urged leaders to “get serious by cutting emissions faster, accelerating a just transition from fossil fuels and delivering the finance and protection vulnerable countries need.”
The opening ceremony began an hour and a half late, with no explanation given for the delay.
Negotiators had been locked in discussions late Sunday over demands by developing nations to include climate finance items on the official agenda.
“This has already been a difficult start for COP31,” said Jasper Inventor, head of Greenpeace’s COP31 delegation.
Under UN climate agreements, developed countries, which are historically responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions, have provided financial support to help developing nations adapt to climate impacts and shift to cleaner energy. Poorer countries say the sums remain insufficient.
Inventor said developed countries had taken a “hard line” over whether to include a platform agreed at COP30 in Brazil last year to discuss how wealthy nations should provide funding to developing countries.
A source familiar with the talks said the “climate work programme” would be included in the agenda.
African countries had also pushed for discussions on tripling adaptation finance, which helps poorer nations pay for measures such as building sea walls and planting drought-resistant crops.
The source said tripling adaptation finance would be discussed under other items rather than as a separate agenda point.
A senior European Union official warned last week that there would be “no political will” for additional funding pledges at COP31.
Observers expect few major breakthroughs as countries grapple with an oil price shock and geopolitical tensions fueled by the US war with Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
