The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) opened on Monday in Antalya, Turkey, after a short delay due to differences between the participating countries on the inclusion of climate finance issues on the official agenda.
And Andrea Correa de Lago, President of the COP31 conference hosted by Brazil last year, announced the opening of the two-week summit, with the participation of representatives of the countries of the world.
And the launch of the conference came amid mounting fears of the repercussions of climate change, after a year that saw severe heatwaves in Europe, widespread forest fires in Indonesia, and devastating floods in Nepal.
And UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders to step up efforts to address the crisis by accelerating emissions reductions, shifting away from fossil fuels, and providing financial support to countries most affected by climate change.
And the opening of the summit was preceded by negotiations that continued until late Sunday evening, centered on the demands of developing countries to include climate finance on the agenda, amid objections to the inadequacy of aid to address the effects of climate change.
African countries have also called for increased funding for adaptation projects, including protecting coastal areas and developing drought-tolerant crops, but the issue will not be raised as a separate item.
And the summit is taking place amid economic and geopolitical challenges, while its Turkish presidency, in cooperation with Australia, which is leading the negotiations, seeks to transform previous climate pledges into practical steps.
Priorities include boosting electricity dependence and raising its share of total global energy demand to 35% by 2035, at a time when differences remain over mechanisms to move away from fossil fuels, despite the pledge adopted by the COP28 conference in Dubai in 2023.
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