COP31 climate summit opens in Turkey after year of extreme weather

World leaders, delegates, and climate activists begin negotiations on Monday at the COP31 U.N. climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, following a year of extreme weather events including deadly heat waves and floods. The summit comes as the war in Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, raising global oil and gas prices and prompting governments to rethink energy policies, including increased investment in renewables. Delegates face pressure to implement previous climate pledges, though scientists say the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius since the 1800s is no longer realistic. Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum, the COP31 president, has proposed an "Action Agenda" focusing on reducing methane, building climate-resilient cities, and increasing electricity use from renewables from 21% to 35% by 2035. The U.S., the world's second-largest polluter, will be absent, and the summit is jointly organized by Turkey and Australia, both criticized for coal reliance.