World leaders and thousands of delegates gathered on Monday, November 9, for the opening of COP31, the UN annual climate conference, at a sprawling expo centre in Antalya, Turkey. The two-week talks begin under heavy pressure on governments to tackle the worsening climate crisis.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used the opening to urge leaders to act seriously. He pointed to a year of devastating weather extremes that, he said, underline the urgency of the task facing negotiators and the countries they represent.
The conference has already been marked by an early dispute over climate finance, the money that wealthier nations are expected to provide to help poorer and more vulnerable countries cope with the impacts of global warming and shift to cleaner energy. The outcome of that funding dispute is not yet known, and the disagreement is likely to be among the central issues in the days ahead.
It remains unclear whether leaders will commit to stronger action on emissions and adaptation during the talks. Delegates will spend the next two weeks in negotiations that will shape how the international community responds to a crisis that Guterres and many governments say is already being felt around the world.
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