COP31 in Antalya: Global Cooperation Key to Halting Warming

The COP31 climate conference has opened in Antalya, Turkey, as global warming approaches a "danger zone," marking a critical test of international cooperation. The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UN Environment Programme said in September that keeping within this limit is now impossible, warning of a 2.6 to 2.8 degree rise this century under current measures. Recent heatwaves killed about 50,000 people in Europe, while Japan has seen record summer temperatures for three consecutive years. The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and China's limited action hinder progress, with Japan receiving a "Fossil Award" for weak climate policies. Developing nations need more financial support, while the conference also addresses decarbonizing AI data centers.