What is at stake at this year’s UN Climate Summit?

Published on: 2026-11-05

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Author: Laura Quiñones
November 4, 2026 Climate and Environment

The world has enough tools to combat climate change, yet millions of people still cannot benefit from them. Clean energy technologies are evolving at record speeds, and the main task for countries is no longer just finding solutions, but making them accessible to everyone.

Catastrophic floods, deadly heatwaves, and prolonged droughts have become hallmarks of 2026. This year, scientists confirmed that the world is heading towards exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Climate Agreement. At the same time, the powerful natural phenomenon El Niño, which will peak by the end of this year, may amplify the effects of climate change.
Against this background, representatives of more than 190 countries will gather on November 9 in Antalya, Turkey, for COP-31 – the next annual UN Climate Change Conference.
Fossil fuels remain the main source of emissions causing global warming, but technologies enabling the abandonment of them are developing at an unprecedented pace. Solar energy, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems are becoming increasingly accessible. However, many countries still cannot fully take advantage of these opportunities. Why?
On the eve of the summit, the UN News Service spoke with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Climate, Selwin Hart, about what is at stake, the factors slowing progress, and what can realistically be expected from the latest round of climate diplomacy.
What is KS-31 and why is this conference important?
COP stands for “Conference of the Parties” – in this case, the countries that are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These annual meetings allow states to assess the progress made and agree on how to tackle an issue that no single country can solve alone.
It was at such negotiations that the historic 2015 Paris Agreement was concluded, under which countries committed to keeping global warming well below 2°C and to making efforts to limit the temperature increase to within 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
The Conferences of the Parties have long ceased to be a platform exclusively for intergovernmental negotiations. Increasingly active participation in its work is being taken by business, the scientific community, representatives of indigenous peoples, youth, and civil society organizations, reflecting the scale of the climate issue.
“Today, there is a clear understanding that overcoming the climate crisis requires the efforts of everyone without exception,” Hart noted.

What can the KS-31 really achieve?
The success of a summit is often judged by the final agreement, which typically emerges after many days of intense discussions and last-minute compromises. However, according to Hart, this is only part of a larger picture.
The special advisor highlighted three key areas in which such conferences can make a difference:
1. Agreements concluded as a result of negotiations
Countries strive to reach consensus on climate finance, emission reductions, and climate change adaptation. However, geopolitical disagreements often hinder the adoption of ambitious decisions.
2. Action Plan
Governments, development banks, businesses, and public organizations are jointly working on practical solutions: expanding the use of renewable energy, modernizing electricity grids, reducing methane emissions, and other initiatives.
3. National commitments
States use the COP as a platform to announce new national measures: climate plans, commitments to phase out fossil fuels, and contributions to climate funds.
“Sometimes the Conference of the Parties is expected to deliver a grand deal that will solve the climate crisis once and for all. This is unrealistic,” Hart emphasized.
This year, the host and chair of CS-31 is Turkey, while the negotiation process – in close cooperation with the Pacific island countries – will be led by Australia.
Special attention at the summit will be given to the implementation of already adopted decisions. Turkey is promoting initiatives in the fields of “clean” energy, food security, sustainable cities, industrial greening, ocean protection, and waste reduction.
“I am running a personal campaign to say ‘Implementation Program’ instead of ‘Action Plan’,” Hart said, emphasizing the need to move from promises to concrete results.
What will be discussed in Antalya?
Behind diplomatic wording lie decisions that can affect the lives of millions of people. Many key issues remain unresolved.
1. Climate financing
Developing countries demand that wealthier nations fulfill their financial commitments made under the Paris Agreement. Disputes persist over the allocation of responsibility, access to financing, and ways to redirect global financial flows toward climate goals.
2. Just Transition
Last year, the countries agreed to create a mechanism to support the transition to a “cleaner” economy, but the specific principles of its operation still need to be agreed upon.
3. Adaptation
Negotiators will continue discussing methods for assessing progress in climate change adaptation. Developing countries are demanding increased financial support in this area.
4. Emission reduction

Disagreements persist between the countries regarding how to strengthen measures to reduce emissions and ensure the fulfillment of already committed obligations.
At COP-31, the second global stocktake of the implementation of the Paris Agreement will also be launched – the official process of assessing collective progress towards achieving its long-term goals.

Is the fight against global warming already lost?
Scientists warn that the world is likely to temporarily exceed the 1.5°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement. However, the extent and duration of this exceedance still depend on the decisions that governments, companies, and societies make today.
“Overload does not mean surrender. On the contrary, it should accelerate our actions,” Hart is convinced. Despite a number of alarming forecasts, he remains optimistic.
“The good news is that even in this extremely challenging situation, the world has everything needed to solve the problem,” Hart said, pointing to the rapid growth in the use of electric vehicles, solar energy, and the development of energy storage systems.
What gives hope?
Just ten years ago, the transition to “clean” energy looked completely different. Today, technologies that were then in their infancy are developing at an astonishing pace.
Electric cars: ten years ago, less than one percent of new cars worldwide were electric. In 2025, their share was about 25 percent, and in 2026 this figure is expected to reach 28 percent.
Solar energy: in 2025, more than 600 gigawatts of new solar capacity was commissioned worldwide, accounting for over three quarters of all new renewable energy facilities.
Energy storage systems: the capacity of such systems now exceeds the 2021 level by 11 times. In 2025 alone, 108 gigawatts of new capacity were added, which is 40 percent more than the previous year. These systems allow storing electricity generated by solar and wind installations for later use.
If solutions exist, then what prevents their implementation?
Investments in “clean” energy are growing rapidly, but their benefits are distributed very unevenly. Developing countries (excluding China), home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, accounted for only 18 percent of global investments in “clean” energy in 2025.
A characteristic example is Africa. Despite its enormous potential in the field of renewable energy, the continent attracts only a small portion of global investments, and around 600 million Africans have no access to electricity at all.
According to Hart, one of the main obstacles remains the high cost of capital. Financing renewable energy projects in developing countries is several times more expensive than in wealthy countries, even when the same technologies are used.
“Our task in the second decade of implementing the Paris Agreement is to remove the barriers hindering the adoption of solutions and the acceleration of actions in such economies,” he said.
For countries already burdened with significant debts, the problem is especially acute: they have to choose between investing in healthcare, education, and protection against climate threats.
“We need financial solutions that will not increase the debt burden,” Hart emphasized.
KS-31 cannot resolve the climate crisis in two weeks of its operation, but the conference may help eliminate at least some of the obstacles that today separate already existing solutions from the people who need them most. For the millions of people around the planet who are already facing the consequences of global warming, this will matter long after the summit ends.

Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.