COP31 opens in Turkey with 1.5C target at risk
Negotiations begin amid rising energy costs and a U.S. absence from the second year in a row.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
Formal climate talks opened Wednesday in Turkey as scientists warned that global temperatures are likely to surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The 1.5 degree threshold, established in the 2015 Paris Agreement, serves as the primary benchmark for international efforts to limit warming.
The conference, known as COP31, follows a pattern of mixed results in recent years. Delegates agreed in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but subsequent meetings in Azerbaijan and Brazil yielded limited agreement on specific reduction targets. The previous year’s session in Brazil resulted in a financial compromise to aid vulnerable nations with adaptation costs.
Turkey hosts this year’s event while Australia leads the negotiations. The talks commenced officially on Monday, coinciding with a period of elevated global energy prices driven by the war in Iran. Rising costs for gasoline, oil, fertilizers, and pesticides are prompting governments to reassess investment in renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
John Kerry, the former U.S. secretary of state and climate envoy, stated during the proceedings, “We don’t need more promises, we need plans.” His remarks come despite the United States, the world’s second-largest emitter after China, missing the conference for the second consecutive year.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax, has recently targeted offshore wind projects and removed regulations limiting power plant emissions. The current session aims to move beyond these policy shifts to secure concrete actions to curb global warming following a year of severe climate-related disasters.
The schedule for the remainder of the week focuses on bridging the gap between national commitments and the scientific necessity of limiting temperature rise. With energy markets in flux and international trust in previous agreements strained, delegates seek to finalize a framework for future climate finance and emission controls.
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