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...
COP31 in Antalya: On the eve of the opening, Africa at the heart of the vital nexus between health and agriculture
As the Antalya convention center prepares to host the official opening of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference on Monday morning, November 9, the Turkish Presidency has set the course from the outset. This edition must break with mere declarations of intent to anchor action in concrete reality. To signal this commitment, the very first thematic day will spotlight a crucial nexus for the immediate future of the African continent, linking food, agriculture, and health. https://unfccc.int/cop31/about The summit opens under mounting scientific pressure. The World Meteorological Organization is set to release its State of the Climate 2026 update, confirming an alarming trajectory for global temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations.For Africa, these indicators reflect a reality already shaped by recurrent droughts across the Sahel and the Horn of Africa,severe disruptions in rainfall patterns, and de...