World leaders will address the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey on Wednesday. Negotiators are seeking agreement on a plan to raise the share of electricity in global energy use and to revive stalled efforts to move away from fossil fuels.
Delegates from nearly 200 countries are attending. Global greenhouse gas emissions show little sign of falling while wars, inflation and other crises compete for political attention. A UN report last month found the world is on course to pass the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming limit that countries agreed to pursue under the Paris Agreement.
Leaders' speeches begin on Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday. Speakers on Wednesday are expected to include Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose country hosted last year's talks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine.
Former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius presided over the 2015 Paris conference said the speeches could give the talks political momentum. "The key word in Antalya is implementation" he told Reuters.
The United States the largest historical emitter is absent for a second year. President Donald Trump who has called global warming a hoax and withdrew the country from climate cooperation after returning to office in 2025.
Turkey, the host wants a goal on electrification at the centre of a final deal. The proposal aims to lift electricity's share of global energy use to 35% by 2035 from a little over one-fifth now. In theory, this would cut emissions from cars, factories and buildings. Critics say it may do little to curb warming. The proposal does not require new power to come from clean sources and governments have not yet agreed a broader plan to move away from coal, oil and gas.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told delegates on Tuesday it is "long past time" to stop treating the fossil fuel transition as taboo. He urged countries to set clear timelines.
Last year's COP in Brazil failed to reach consensus on a global plan to cut fossil fuel dependence. The Brazilian presidency has since published a roadmap. It asks countries to plan and assess their energy systems by 2028, then work together to reduce fossil fuel supply from 2031.
