Speaking from the podium at COP31 in Türkiye on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell issued an urgent call for world leaders to crack down on methane and other "super-pollutants." At the center of international climate talks, the gas is a double-edged sword: while it serves as a pillar of the global energy economy and an essential daily fuel, leaks into the atmosphere sharply accelerate global warming. Behind this paradox lies a stark injustice, with the lowest-emitting countries and the world's poorest populations bearing the brunt of the damage. Understanding what is at stake begins with the science. Defined by chemists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the simplest hydrocarbon—one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms—methane is invisible, odorless, and highly flammable in its natural state. It is the primary component of the natural gas used across industries and households. https://www.un.org/e...
ANTALYA (Türkiye) — Under the unequivocal banner of an "Implementation COP, " the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference officially opened on November 9 in Antalya. Addressing delegates assembled in the plenary hall,COP31 President Murat Kurum made a solemn call for nations to move beyond abstract rhetoric and ground international commitments in the daily lives of citizens, as geopolitical crises, economic uncertainty, mounting debt, and food insecurity collide head-on with accelerating global climate disruption. Emphasizing that Türkiye intends to fully assume its historic role as a bridge across diplomatic and economic divides, Kurum highlighted the deeply interconnected nature of today's global risks. A drought in one corner of the world inevitably makes itself felt at dinner tables on the other side, he warned, reaffirming that the Paris Agreement target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C remains an indispensable benchm...