COP31 leaders push faster climate action as UN warns of 1.5C overshoot

Leaders at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey urged accelerated action against global warming on Monday, as record heat and climate disasters threaten lives and economies, with progress described as "nowhere near fast enough." A UN report shows the world is set to overshoot the 1.5C warming threshold, with 2026 on track as one of the four hottest years, driven by El Niño and marked by extreme heatwaves and a deadly glacier collapse in Nepal. Turkey's presidency aims to electrify a third of the global economy by 2035, though critics note the pledge lacks low-carbon requirements, while wars and AI demand complicate talks, despite renewable energy gains.