U.N. climate talks begin today. Here are 3 things to know
The COP31 climate conference in Turkey is focusing on the economic shift toward electrification technologies like solar and batteries. Experts suggest that the current global energy crisis is driving countries to adopt clean energy solutions for economic security.
Why it matters
It highlights a shift in climate negotiations from purely environmental goals to economic and energy security strategies.
For the next two weeks, country leaders will be in Antalya, Turkey, for the annual United Nations climate conference, called COP31. This year, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will loom over the negotiations. Now in its ninth month, the war has sparked a global energy crisis. The unprecedented closure of the Strait of Hormuz and spiking oil and natural gas prices have laid bare the fragility of relying on fossil fuels.
But this energy crisis – unlike the energy crisis in the 1970s and the one following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – is different, says Kingsmill Bond, an analyst at the energy think tank Ember.
"This is the first time you've really had a global energy shock where you've got really cheap solutions to address it," Bond says.
Headlinne story · 5 newsrooms
Global Leaders Convene in Turkey as Climate Extremes Reach Record Levels
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