The United Nations climate summit, known as COP31, opened Monday in Antalya, on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast. Nearly 200 countries are taking part, according to UN News, and the summit is set to close on Friday, Nov. 20.
The summit is meant to focus on turning existing climate commitments into action rather than producing one major agreement, UN News reported. More than 90,000 people are expected to attend. Negotiators face difficult questions over climate finance, clean energy and protecting communities already affected by climate change, the report said.
Türkiye’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum took the gavel as COP31 President on Monday. Chris Bowen, Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister, will lead the talks under a shared presidency set up during COP30, the previous summit.
Simon Stiell, the head of UN Climate Change, told the opening session that “Progress is nowhere near far enough or fair enough.” He urged countries to move beyond setting targets and to “supercharge solutions” that make a difference on the ground. He also said no single conference can close the gap between the science and reality.
Kurum told delegates that decisions should show up in city infrastructure, on farms and in factories. He said families should feel the effect in lower energy bills.
Bowen announced plans to develop a presidency-led decision throughout the conference instead of waiting until the last days. The aim is to agree on practical measures to speed up climate action. UN News said differences remain over how ambitious the outcome should be. Bowen acknowledged that views will differ on the value of the decision and how far it goes, and said the job is to close those gaps as far as consensus allows.
Finance is expected to be among the toughest issues, according to UN News. Developing countries want quicker access to funds to adapt to climate change and to develop with cleaner energy. Negotiators also have to move forward on deals about cutting emissions and on a just transition. UN News did not say how much money is under discussion or which countries would provide it.
Monday was also Food, Agriculture and Health Day at the summit. The World Health Organization says 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion people live in regions at high risk from climate change. Joy Shumake-Guillemot of the World Meteorological Organization said the WMO and the WHO are working together to bring climate information into public health planning. She said a forecast of dangerous heat can help hospitals prepare, and that rainfall and seasonal predictions can help health authorities anticipate diseases such as malaria.
Health is one of 10 priority areas in the COP31 Action Agenda, UN News reported. Countries are being encouraged to carry out the Belém Health Action Plan, which was agreed at COP30. A new Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience is being launched as well.
On agriculture, UN News said food and farming account for roughly one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Sharm el-Sheikh programme on farming and food security is under review by countries, which are also deciding what follows. Cristian Barrasueta of the World Rural Forum said complicated procedures and multiple intermediaries make international climate finance hard for small farming groups to reach. He said farmers need support now, not after years of planning and paperwork, as El Niño is expected to intensify in the coming months.
Separately, UN News reported that Bolivia’s government has declared a national emergency over a severe drought. Official figures cited by UN News show more than 75,000 head of livestock have died and over 114,000 families have been affected. UN agencies also issued warnings on opening day about the potential impacts of El Niño. UN News did not give details of those warnings.