By Georgina Maka’a
In Türkiye, ANTALYA
The 31st UN Climate Conference (COP31) opened today in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together over 80,000 delegates focused on moving from talk to real-world action.
With severe weather hitting communities worldwide, from shrinking glaciers in Nepal to record heat in Europe, leaders stressed the need for practical steps, more climate funding, and support for the hardest-hit regions.
Speaking at the opening session, UN Climate Change chief Simon Stiell called for a sharp focus on immediate progress.
“We are taking a fresh approach at COP31,” Stiell said.
“This conference must speed up practical solutions. Cutting methane and building clean electricity grids can act like a global ice pack, knocking half a degree off projected warming.”
A main focus of the summit is the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, backed by the Turkish hosts, which aims to lift electricity’s share of world energy use from 20 percent to 35 percent by 2035.
COP31 President Murat Kurum stated that climate policies directly affect everyday life, local economies, and public health.
“Our choices need to show up in city infrastructure, on farms, and inside factories,” Kurum said.
“Our decisions must take shape in a city’s infrastructure, on a farmer’s land and along a factory’s production line,” Kurum said.
“If we are to share a future, we must share the responsibility for it,” he said.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo warned that worsening weather disasters mean countries must cut emissions and adapt to changes immediately.
Beyond policy goals, the UN climate office is dealing with its own financial pressures. Stiell noted that while workload demands are rising, core funding has dropped, requiring budget talks with member countries in the coming months.
Alongside policy targets, operational challenges persist for the climate secretariat itself. Stiell noted that while UN mandates continue to expand, available funding has contracted, calling for sustainable budget consultations with member states over the coming months.
During COP 31 in Antalya, delegates will focus on delivering money and technology to the frontline communities that need them most.
