Global Leaders Convene in Turkey as Climate Extremes Reach Record Levels

International representatives gathered in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday for the start of the COP31 climate summit, facing urgent calls to accelerate the global transition away from fossil fuels.

The two-week conference begins as the World Meteorological Organization released data showing 2026 continued a streak of exceptional temperatures, with global surface heat reaching 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The summit aims to address climate-driven disasters, including heatwaves that killed over 50,000 people in Europe and a glacial avalanche in the Himalayas that resulted in more than 1,300 deaths.

Negotiators are tasked with advancing a goal known as "35 by 35," which seeks to ensure that 35 percent of consumer energy is derived from electricity rather than fossil fuels by 2035.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged participants to take immediate action, stating, "We have entered a new age of climate extremes."

Guterres added, "A supersized El Nino is colliding with a planet already superheated by manmade climate change."

The United States will have no official government presence at the summit for the second consecutive year, following the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the international climate framework.

While the White House confirmed it would not send a delegation, approximately 20 members of Congress are attending the event using private funding, according to The Guardian.

Democratic Representative Sean Casten of Illinois, who is attending the summit, said, "We have a lot of rebuilding to do. It hinges on Congress to maintain diplomatic continuities at Cop."

Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, is serving as the president of negotiations, balancing the interests of fossil fuel-exporting nations with the needs of vulnerable Pacific island states.

The summit also occurs during a global energy crisis exacerbated by the conflict involving Iran, which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and volatile fuel prices.

"This is the first time you've really had a global energy shock where you've got really cheap solutions to address it," said Kingsmill Bond, an analyst at the energy think tank Ember.

Negotiators remain divided over whether to include explicit language phasing out fossil fuels in the final agreement, a measure consistently opposed by major oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia.

World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo warned that current weather patterns are intensifying faster than historical baselines, noting, "We cannot afford to fly blind."

It remains unclear whether the summit will produce a binding agreement on emission reductions or if disagreements between major economies will again stall significant progress on climate policy.