COP31 opens in Turkey with key leaders absent

bangkokpost.com —

World leaders are gathering for COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, but several prominent figures are absent, raising concerns about the summit's influence as climate crises intensify globally. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only G7 leader scheduled to speak, while French, German, Italian, Canadian, and Japanese leaders are skipping the event. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will attend, but experts warn Europe's reduced presence weakens the conference's impact. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are not attending, though Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will speak. Turkey is promoting an electrification initiative, but nations have struggled to advance fossil fuel transition goals since the 2023 agreement.


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