Delegates from more than 190 countries are gathering in Turkey for COP31, the UN climate summit, where talks are expected to run for roughly a fortnight. Heads of government are attending the latest round, which is focused on the warming trend that scientists say is being driven by human activity.
The summit comes at a time when the planet is facing unprecedented global heating. Governments meeting under the UN climate framework are seeking to address that trend, though the likely outcomes of the talks remain uncertain. The source material does not set out specific targets that negotiators are expected to adopt.
The United States is absent from the talks, a notable gap in a gathering of this scale. Its non-participation adds to the questions hanging over what the negotiations can deliver in a single round.
Expectations for the summit are modest. The framing of coverage around COP31 suggests that achievements are likely to be limited, with the key test being whether the countries present can move beyond general commitments toward concrete action on the warming that is already being felt across the world.
For Caribbean and small island states, including Dominica, such summits carry particular weight. Island nations are among those most exposed to the consequences of a warming climate, from stronger storms to rising seas, and they have consistently pressed for ambitious action from larger emitters. How the talks in Turkey unfold will be followed closely by governments across the region.
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