COP31 Leaders Warn Conflicts Must Not Derail Climate Action

Leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, warned Wednesday that wars and trade disputes must not distract from global efforts to combat climate change, as negotiators prepared to draft a new agreement. Turkey, the summit host, is pushing for a goal to expand electrification to 35% of global energy use by 2035, though critics say it lacks a clear plan to reduce fossil fuels. Brazil’s president said the planet cannot be at the mercy of hegemonic struggles, while the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran has disrupted oil shipments and raised fuel prices. The United States skipped the talks for a second year after President Donald Trump withdrew from climate cooperation, and several other G7 leaders did not attend. A U.N. report found the world on course to breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit, with 2026 marked by extreme heatwaves and a deadly glacier collapse in Nepal.