COP 31: Guterres and Lula Urge End to Fossil Fuels as Climate Talks Intensify

At the UN climate conference COP 31 in Antalya, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an end to fossil fuel dependence, comparing them to dinosaurs and criticizing their powerful lobby for delaying climate action. Brazilian President Lula da Silva separately denounced the disappearance of climate change from international discourse, noting that G7 and G20 summits have prioritized weapons and tariffs over the survival of future generations. The leaders highlighted a deep gap between necessary action and reality, as current global warming is occurring 10 to 100 times faster than the Permian extinction event 252 million years ago.