COP31 opens in Antalya as climate goals slip and leaders face distractions

The COP31 UN climate conference opened in Antalya, Turkey, facing significant challenges as global temperature goals slip out of reach and world leaders are distracted by other priorities. UN Secretary-General Guterres urged nearly 200 countries to act decisively, while hosts Turkey and Australia proposed increasing global energy electrification from 20% to 35% by 2035. Greenhouse gas emissions are rising again, and the 1.5°C warming limit has already been temporarily exceeded multiple times. Financial support for vulnerable nations needs to triple, with Italy contributing nearly 4 billion euros as the largest donor. Italy installed only 7 GW of renewables in 2025, compared to 23 GW in Germany and 10 GW in Spain.