World Leaders Convene at COP31 Summit in Antalya

World leaders convened in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 11 for the COP31 climate conference to establish environmental priorities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the third day of the summit with a warning that the climate crisis is "outrunning us," noting that 2025 emissions reached all-time highs and the planet is on a "dangerous trajectory."

Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister and president of the COP31 negotiations, urged the summit to deliver "practical results" and unlock clean energy investment. He highlighted the Pacific Resilience Facility as a model for supporting vulnerable nations. The Government of Turkiye proposed a 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge to increase the global share of electricity in energy use to 35% by 2035, a goal supported by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Developing nations, led by voices such as Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanded predictable and accessible climate finance from developed countries. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the global shift toward weapons and tariffs over climate survival, while Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian called for compensation mechanisms for environmental damages caused by military aggressions.

The summit was marked by the continued absence of the United States, which has skipped the talks for two years following President Donald Trump's withdrawal from climate cooperation. Other notable absences included top leaders from France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada.