Leaders Call for Urgent Climate Action at COP31 Summit in Antalya

At the COP31 Climate Summit, which began in the Turkish city of Antalya, world leaders emphasized the need for urgent and decisive steps against insufficient emission reductions and the disasters caused by global warming.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated in his opening speech at the summit that the world is struggling with deadly floods and heatwaves, describing climate action as a vital fight for survival. Guterres presented a negotiation framework that includes ending dependence on fossil fuels, adapting to a warmer world, increasing financial support for poor countries, and strengthening cooperation.

While the absence of leaders from the largest polluting countries, such as China, the US, and India—which are responsible for more than half of global carbon dioxide emissions—was noted, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in the process, stating that climate efforts have been overshadowed by geopolitical conflicts and inflation. A new report published by Germanwatch and the New Climate Institute pointed out that the gap between countries' climate commitments and actual emission cuts is growing, and that current collective efforts are insufficient to prevent catastrophic climate change.