COP31 leaders urge climate action despite global conflicts

World leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey on Wednesday warned that wars, trade disputes and geopolitical tensions must not derail global efforts to tackle climate change, urging greater international cooperation as nearly 200 countries began negotiations on new commitments. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan led calls to prioritize climate action despite conflicts and economic uncertainty, while Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister argued climate policies should not restrict economic development. A key proposal under discussion is Turkey's plan to increase electricity's share in global energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the climate crisis was "outrunning us," as a UN report said the world was on course to breach the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold. The urgency follows extreme weather events in 2026, though the US skipped the conference for a second year and several major economies did not send top leaders.