COP31 opens in Turkey with Australia leading talks as climate action lags
COP31, the UN climate conference, opened Monday in Turkey with Australia leading negotiations, amid warnings that global efforts to curb warming are moving too slowly. Formal leader discussions begin Wednesday. The talks follow a year of deadly climate disasters, but past conferences have yielded weak results, with little agreement on fossil fuel reductions since a 2023 pledge. Scientists warn warming will likely exceed the 1.5°C Paris target, while the Iran war has raised energy prices. Former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry urged concrete plans over promises, but the U.S., the second-largest polluter, is absent for a second year under President Donald Trump, who has rolled back climate regulations.