Global Leaders Gather in Turkey for Climate Summit Amid Notable Absences

World leaders gathered in Antalya on Wednesday for the opening of the United Nations climate summit, facing mounting pressure to address escalating global temperatures and economic instability.

The two-week conference kicked off in the Turkish resort city with dozens of heads of state scheduled to speak during the high-level segment, though several prominent leaders from major economies were absent.

The summit comes as the international community confronts severe climate disasters and energy market volatility that threaten economic stability and increase living costs worldwide.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a stark warning to the delegates gathered at the venue, accusing powerful industry interests of stalling necessary progress.

"Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs, but that won’t happen on its own," said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general.

"The dinosaurs did not have a lobby, but fossil fuels do," Mr. Guterres said.

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the talks, leaders from Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan chose not to participate.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was the sole leader from a Group of Seven nation scheduled to address the summit, according to reporting by The Hindu and Al Jazeera.

The French government stated that President Emmanuel Macron remained in Europe for Armistice Day commemorations and an upcoming European Union summit, as reported by The Hindu.

United States President Donald Trump did not send officials to the negotiations, continuing an absence that began after his re-election, according to The Hindu and Al Jazeera.

Officials at the conference promoted a new economic argument for climate action, suggesting that renewable energy transitions can lower household bills and reduce vulnerability to price shocks.

"Three-quarters of humanity live in countries that import fossil fuels, hostage to price shocks they did not create and cannot control," said Mr. Guterres.

Host nation Turkey used the platform to champion a voluntary initiative aimed at raising electricity's share of global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035.

Delegates will continue negotiations through the remainder of the week to resolve persistent divisions over climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels.