UN Climate Talks Open in Turkey as Leaders Urged to Speed Action

World leaders begin formal talks Wednesday at the UN climate conference in Turkey, seeking concrete action on global warming after a year of climate disasters, though past negotiations have faced criticism for unfulfilled promises. The COP31 conference, hosted by Turkey with Australia leading negotiations, follows the 2023 Dubai agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, but subsequent meetings in Azerbaijan and Brazil yielded little progress on reductions. Scientists warn global warming will likely exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. The talks occur amid the war in Iran, which has raised energy prices and prompted governments to reconsider renewable investments. The U.S., the world’s second-largest polluter, is absent for a second year under President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a hoax.