EU leaders skip COP31 summit in Turkey, ministers take the lead

Key European leaders, including Germany's Merz, France's Macron, Italy's Meloni, and Spain's Sánchez, will skip the COP31 Leaders Summit in Antalya, Turkey, which begins today. Their absence shifts responsibility to ministers and negotiators present at the talks, which run until next week. The summit features bilateral meetings and coalition-building, with Turkey's environment minister prioritizing action over new targets, focusing on electrification and waste reduction. The EU is officially represented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while no US government members attend for a second year, though a 19-member congressional delegation is present. A European Commission report found nine EU countries, including Italy, Germany, and Austria, risk missing 2030 emission targets, prompting corrective action plans. EU net emissions fell 1.6 percent last year, now 39 percent below 1990 levels, though environmental groups accuse the bloc of weakening climate rules.