UN climate summit COP31 opens in Turkey amid warnings of rising temperatures

Nexus Europa Newsroom

Posted Nov 9, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-11-09-2200

UN climate summit COP31 opens in Turkey amid warnings of rising temperatures — Photo: Le Figaro

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged global leaders to step up efforts as the COP31 climate summit opened in Antalya, Turkey.

The annual United Nations climate conference, COP31, opened on Monday in the Turkish coastal resort of Antalya, bringing together representatives from nearly 200 countries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged world leaders to "step up" their ambitions as accelerating emissions collide with an extraordinary El Niño event, threatening to make 2026 one of the hottest years on record.

With over 100,000 attendees expected over the two-week summit, discussions are set to focus on climate finance for vulnerable nations and turning past commitments into concrete action. However, political challenges loom as prominent figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have chosen to skip the gathering, highlighting growing tension between technical implementation and political momentum.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Politico Europe (Defense), RTBF Info, Le Soir.

How outlets assessed this

Nov 9, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC
- Politico Europe (Defense) Critical Highlighted French President Emmanuel Macron's absence, framing it as indicative of declining executive ambition for international climate action.
- RTBF Info Cautious Framed the conference pragmatically, emphasizing a shift toward concrete implementation rather than grandiose pledges.
- Le Soir Skeptical Underscored the disparity between ongoing green transition momentum and political inertia among negotiating countries.