"COP31": Guterres urges world leaders to take climate change seriously

The UN Climate Conference "COP31" has commenced in Antalya, Turkey. Guterres called on leaders to take climate change seriously, amid a dispute between wealthy and developing nations over financing.

The UN Climate Conference "COP31" has begun in the Turkish city of Antalya on the Mediterranean coast, with thousands of participants, amid a prominent dispute between wealthy and developing nations over financing issues. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders to "take seriously" the issue of climate change, calling for accelerated emission reductions, a swift and just transition away from fossil fuels, and the provision of necessary financing and protection for the most vulnerable countries. The conference comes after a year that saw severe heatwaves in Europe, widespread wildfires in Indonesia, and catastrophic floods in Nepal, amid the exceptionally strong return of the El Niño climate phenomenon. Negotiators held discussions late into Sunday evening over demands by developing countries to include financing-related items on the official agenda. The head of the Greenpeace delegation to the conference, Jasper Inventor, described the start as "difficult."