COP31 Kicks Off with Dangerous Overshoot of 1.5C of Global Warming Looming, Raising Stakes for Climate Justice and Ambition

ANTALYA, Türkiye (November 8, 2026)- The annual U.N. climate talks-COP31-get underway in Antalya, Türkiye tomorrow and will run from November 9-20. The talks must contend with the failure of countries to limit global warming to below 1.5°C and the mounting toll of climate- fueled disasters, which just this year included tens of thousands of lives lost in the deadly floods in Nepal and extreme heatwaves across Europe. At the same time, a fossil energy crisis unleashed by the U.S.-Israel war against Iran is driving up energy costs, leaving people struggling to afford basic necessities.

Transitioning away from fossil fuels, ramping up clean energy and boosting climate finance will be key issues at this COP. The U.N. Environmental Programmes's 2026 Adaptation Gap report shows that public adaptation finance flows from richer to lower income countries was less than $32 billion in 2024, and even the COP30 aspiration to triple this finance by 2035 would fall well short of developing countries' estimated annual need of at least $305 billion by 2035.

Last week's election results in the United States will buoy the mood in Antalya, but the country remains on the sidelines at COP31 as the Trump administration exited the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

Below is a quote by Dr. Rachel Cleetus, who will be attending COP31 alongside other UCS experts:

"COP31 comes at a watershed moment with the world staring into the abyss of overshooting 1.5°C of global warming, a result of grossly insufficient action from policymakers and the greed and deception of fossil fuel companies. Global leaders must pull us back from the brink and commit to rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels and expanding renewable energy, an imperative reinforced by the current energy affordability crisis. With mounting climate disasters harming those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis, richer nations must also fulfill their responsibility to provide funding for adaptation and loss and damage. The glaring gap in climate finance is cruelly exacerbating the injustice of climate change for the lowest income countries. And the unfolding record-breaking El Niño is compounding climate harms, already causing devastating flooding and set to create harsh new challenges for people's food security, health and livelihoods.

"Ahead of COP31, the resounding rejection of the destructive, corrupt actions of the Trump administration by U.S. voters is a positive signal to the global community. The administration's illegal war on Iran, tariff wars and attacks on clean energy have driven up costs for everyday people while boosting the obscene profits of fossil fuel polluters. There is a real risk that a beleaguered Trump administration could double down on its authoritarian tactics and continue to disrupt global climate progress and multilateral institutions. But Congress now has the power and responsibility to keep this reckless administration in check and ensure it is held accountable, at home and on the global stage.

"The Trump administration is isolated in shamefully exiting the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. At COP31 it's crucial for other world leaders to forge ahead on critical priorities for global climate action, informed by the best available science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and with richer, high-emitting nations living up to their fair share of responsibility. The decisions made here are an issue of profound intergenerational justice and world leaders must commit to building a safer, more just world."

Read more about COP31 priorities in Dr. Cleetus recent blogpost, "COP31 in Türkiye: Can Climate Talks Deliver Amid Worsening Disasters, Rising Fossil Fuel Energy Costs and Global Conflicts?" and learn more about the UCS experts that will be present at COP31 and available for media here.

UCS experts have extensive experience doing live and taped TV, radio, podcast and print interviews with major national and international media outlets. Please contact UCS Communications Officer Daela Taeoalii-Tipton if you have questions or would like to arrange interviews with these experts during or after the negotiations. She will be attending the U.N. climate talks in-person and will be in Antalya from November 7-22.