{
  "id": 18528777,
  "title": "The Tide Could Be Turning on Global Climate Cooperation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/the-tide-could-be-turning-on-global-climate-cooperation",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-06T16:14:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/11/06/tide-turning-global-climate-cooperation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The recent U.S. midterm elections did not focus on climate policy, and the Democrats' overwhelming victory does not necessarily indicate a return to climate leadership in the United States. However, there are reasons to believe that this shift could still have a significant impact on global climate action. For the past two years, opponents of climate action have made the retreat seem inevitable, overshadowing the progress being made by many countries despite these efforts. The Paris Agreement demonstrated that a collective commitment could change people's expectations and willingness to invest in the future, including investment from governments and institutions with the power to drive change.\n\nIn April, 57 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, to address barriers to transitioning away from fossil fuels, bringing together both developed and developing nations, as well as fossil fuel importers and producers such as Germany, Canada, Brazil, and Nigeria. The European Union, China, and Brazil formed a new coalition on carbon markets, a crucial step in cutting industrial emissions without disadvantaging domestic producers—another thorny issue in climate diplomacy.\n\nWhy have these countries chosen to continue working together, and why haven't any followed the United States out of the Paris Agreement? Nearly every government recognizes that climate change and energy insecurity pose threats to their core national interests, and in a globally interconnected world, protecting those interests requires collaboration, even if the politics are challenging.\n\nRecent events, such as the Hormuz crisis and escalating climate impacts, are reinforcing the shared interests of working together. Despite the oil and gas industry's long-held belief that energy security means having more reliable and diverse supplies, the crisis has forced governments to reevaluate this logic. Electric vehicles, batteries, and solar panels are becoming increasingly affordable and efficient, leading to a surge in their adoption worldwide as people seek to protect themselves from volatile fuel prices.\n\nCountries outside China and the United States have seen a significant increase in electric car sales, with an estimated 45% rise in sales between August 2025 and the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, the extreme heatwaves and wildfires witnessed this year have highlighted the devastating economic losses and loss of life caused by climate disasters, which governments can no longer afford to ignore.\n\nThe U.N. Environment Programme has confirmed that the world is on track to exceed 1.5°C of warming by the end of this century, and every fraction of a degree increase will heighten these losses and the risk of reaching irreversible tipping points. While the United States' rejection of climate action and multilateralism has made it harder for countries to act on these interests, it has also pushed the European Union to water down some of its climate regulations.\n\nThe midterm elections have not assured an easing of Washington's pressure on climate action, but they do expose the futility of the Trump Administration's assertion that fossil fuels will provide affordable energy. Other governments should take note: climate denial is not a viable answer to voters' concerns about rising energy bills. By acting together, middle powers can offer one another greater protection from U.S. retaliation, giving them more room to assert their own ambitions. With multiple compelling reasons to act and fewer excuses to hold back, the upcoming U.N. climate conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, is expected to see a broad coalition of countries, including traditional rivals, united in their commitment to using clean electricity to replace fossil fuels. American states, cities, and businesses are also anticipated to participate actively, sending a powerful signal of intent that could shape the future of global climate cooperation.",
  "summary": "Countries continue to make progress on issues that have long divided them.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}