UN climate summit kicks off in Turkey after a disastrous year of extreme weather

World leaders, delegates, and climate activists convened in Turkey on Monday for the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit, also known as COP31, in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. The two-week conference aims to curb climate change by developing new pledges for climate action and implementing previous promises. This is the first summit where it is clear that the world will overshoot the critical 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7-degree Fahrenheit) global warming threshold established during the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Turkey's Environment Minister Murat Kurum, who presides over the summit, emphasized that the world cannot afford to accept ongoing fossil fuel cost pain for families, firms, and governments. Instead, nations must rewire the global economy for the electric age by reducing methane emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, from 21% to 35% by 2035.

The climate crisis has become a global health crisis, according to U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell. He called on nations to either electrically transform their economies or accept the ongoing pain of fossil fuels' high costs. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is particularly concerning as it warms the planet much faster than other planet-heating gases despite having a shorter atmospheric lifespan.

The summit will also focus on helping poorer countries adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather events while transitioning away from fossil fuels. Developing countries are demanding more discussions on financing for climate adaptation and recovery, as they seek clarity on how rich countries will provide the necessary funds to tackle climate change.

Negotiations are already underway among nearly 200 countries, with disagreements persisting over funds for climate adaptation and recovery, as well as other long-pending issues. The U.S., the world's second-largest polluter, is absent from the summit after President Donald Trump withdrew the country from climate negotiations during his presidency.