Leaders at the COP31 summit in Turkey urged countries around the world to accelerate their fight against global warming. This request was made at the start of the two-week United Nations conference on the Mediterranean shores of Turkey, emphasizing the importance of focusing on climate issues even as other crises such as war and rising inflation are on the rise.
The Need to Accelerate Climate Actions
Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change, stated in his opening speech at the summit: "The pressure of this moment must drive us forward," adding that current progress is "very slow." A report from the United Nations Environment Programme in October indicated that the world is on a clear path to a temperature increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
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Goals of the COP31 Summit
Turkey's presidency at this summit prioritizes the goal of electrifying more than one-third of the global economy by 2035. Turkey has asked the attending countries to commit to supporting this goal. Theoretically, such a goal could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the global transition towards non-fossil vehicles and equipment.
Murat Kurum, the President of COP31 Turkey, stated in his remarks: "We want people to feel the results of climate negotiations in their daily lives: in buildings that consume less energy, in clean public transport, in affordable energy, and in new jobs." However, climate activists have criticized this commitment, as this goal does not consider a mandate for electricity supply from low-carbon sources.
The war in Iran and the resulting energy crises have intensified global dependence on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, some analysts believe that wars have also highlighted the benefits of moving towards renewable energy. In the meantime, the use of renewable energy has increased globally, and the export of clean technologies from China has contributed to this trend.
Stiell emphasized during the summit that renewable energies are a clear solution for improving energy security, stating: "The chaos of fossil fuel costs has created a global shock that has harmed households and significantly increased inflation."
In this context, Turkey has called on governments, businesses, and other entities at COP31 to commit to the sustainable development of artificial intelligence. Chris Bowen, the head of the COP31 negotiations for Australia, expressed hope that this conference would represent a success for multilateralism, stating: "Paris is working, but we need to move faster."
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