ANTALYA – World leaders are gathering in Antalya, Türkiye, today for the high-level segment of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), as countries seek to advance international climate action amid rising global temperatures and increasingly severe weather events.
The two-week summit, which began earlier this week, comes after a year marked by heatwaves across Europe, deadly floods in Nepal, and major wildfires in Indonesia, highlighting the growing urgency of addressing climate change.
World Leaders Gather, Several Key Figures Absent
The high-level segment, taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, brings together heads of state and government representatives, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Other international leaders are also participating, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is representing President Xi Jinping at the conference.
However, several prominent world leaders are not attending this year's summit. These include French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. US President Donald Trump is also absent from the conference.
According to the latest attendance list cited by Agence France-Presse, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only leader from a G7 country scheduled to address the summit.
Climate Action and International Cooperation
The summit provides a platform for countries to discuss climate policies, strengthen international cooperation, and advance commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the effects of global warming.
Türkiye Pushes for Greater Electrification
A key focus of the conference is the transition towards cleaner energy systems. Türkiye is promoting a voluntary initiative to accelerate the electrification of transport, buildings, and industry, with the aim of increasing electricity's share of global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035.
The initiative also brings attention to the need to ensure that increased electrification is supported by clean energy sources, particularly as countries continue to address the role of fossil fuels in the global energy transition.
Moving Beyond Fossil Fuel Commitments
Since countries agreed in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, turning this commitment into concrete measures has remained a major challenge at successive climate conferences.
As COP31 continues, discussions are expected to focus on translating climate commitments into practical action, strengthening energy systems, and supporting countries in responding to the environmental and economic impacts of climate change.
