Antalya Climate Talks Hit Halfway Mark
More than 7,000 people marched in Antalya as the COP31 climate talks reached their midpoint with limited progress. Ministers now take up the hardest issues. The post Antalya Climate Talks Hit Halfway Mark appeared first on The Rio Times .
The halfway point of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye, was reached on Saturday, 14 November. Thousands of people, estimated by police to be over 7,000, marched through the city as ministers arrived for the crucial phase of negotiations. Environmental groups, trade unions, and rights organizations organized the demonstration, which proceeded peacefully under close police supervision.
Participants carried rainbow flags, protesting Türkiye's crackdown on the LGBT community in September. Halime Saman of the People's Climate Summit platform expressed frustration that their voices are not heard at the COP. The Australian climate minister, Chris Bowen, who is also presiding over the negotiations, noted "really good and positive conversations," but acknowledged that some issues require more time.
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat, emphasized there is no "climate quick fix." A stocktaking plenary, where countries' first red lines will be discussed, is scheduled for Saturday night. Germany's draft text proposes tripling adaptation finance to at least US$120 billion a year by 2035 and initiating a review of the COP30 finance target.
The EU wants to extend the Mitigation Work Programme to 2030, 2031, or 2040. Türkiye and Australia are advocating for a voluntary pledge to raise electricity's share of final energy use to 35% by 2035. The Antalya Declaration, a text Türkiye plans to prepare, has not been confirmed for adoption.
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