World leaders, delegates, and climate activists have gathered in Antalya, Turkey, for the COP31 U.N. climate summit. The talks, which began on Monday, are focused on curbing climate change and addressing the rising temperatures that have led to deadly heat waves in Europe and beyond.
The summit comes after a year of extreme weather, including punishing heatwaves in Europe, major wildfires in Indonesia, and catastrophic floods in Nepal, fueled by an exceptionally strong El Nino phenomenon. Further urgency is added by a United Nations Environment Program report stating that the world is already set to overshoot 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above preindustrial times.
Negotiations are taking place as global energy shortages and wars in Iran and Ukraine loom over the proceedings. Among the key priorities, delegates are expected to discuss how to help poorer countries pay to adapt to extreme weather events and rising temperatures.