COP31: Leaders' Summit Starts Amid Transport Warnings

Heads of state and government will meet in Antalya, Turkey, on Wednesday for a two-day leaders’ summit at COP31. The United Nations climate secretariat has warned delegates to expect more transport delays around the venue.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will kick off the Antalya Leaders’ Summit. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to speak, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) programme.

The theme of the summit is “Towards a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.”

Security measures for the leaders will be in place on 11 and 12 November. The UNFCCC secretariat sent a notice to participants on Tuesday, which PREMIUM TIMES reviewed.

“Alternative routes have been put in place for shuttle buses to avoid the routes being used by leaders, but delays can be expected,” the notice said.

Leaders are set to arrive at the venue from 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, with the opening session starting at 12:15 p.m. Leaders will give national statements on both days, and the summit will wrap up at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Issues before the leaders

Mr Guterres urged leaders on Monday to cut emissions faster, move away from fossil fuels, and provide finance and protection for countries at risk.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said COP31 must focus on tripling adaptation finance, making climate funds easier to access, tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, and cutting methane emissions.

Finance is one of the four roundtables hosted by the Turkish presidency. This session, on Thursday, will discuss implementation and climate finance in the second decade of the Paris Agreement.

African negotiators could not secure a separate agenda item to triple adaptation finance. COP31 president, Murat Kurum, said the issue could be discussed under existing items after parties did not agree.

The presidency’s plan to raise electricity’s share of global energy demand to 35 percent by 2035 will be the topic of the first roundtable on Wednesday afternoon. The other two roundtables will discuss green industry, investment and jobs, and urban resilience and adaptation.

Methane will be discussed at a separate leaders’ meeting on Thursday morning about greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide. Other events will cover forests, zero waste, early warning systems, electricity grids, and mountain regions.

Two events on Thursday will focus on Africa. These include a leaders’ roundtable on clean cooking in Africa and a high-level dialogue on African leadership in climate action.

Leaders from 70 countries are expected to give national statements in person, according to the UNFCCC’s list of speakers released on 8 November. An earlier list from 21 October had 77 countries.

Twenty-one African countries are on the list, including Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Algeria.

Nigeria is not on the list of countries scheduled to speak on either day. Countries whose leaders do not speak this week can still make statements when the high-level segment starts again on 17 and 18 November.

Transport delays continue

Nine shuttle lines serving Belek, a resort area where many delegates are staying, will have a reduced service between 8:30 a.m. and noon on both days, according to the secretariat’s notice.

The secretariat advised delegates to avoid travelling during those hours. It has increased the number of buses leaving Belek before 8:30 a.m.

Taxis and vehicles without an access pass will also not be allowed to park near the venue, the notice said.

“The traffic is expected to resume back to normal in the afternoon, with buses operating as per schedule,” it added.

This warning comes after two days of complaints about access to the conference. Some participants spent over five hours collecting accreditation badges on Monday, PREMIUM TIMES reported. Journeys that were supposed to take about 50 minutes ended up lasting up to three hours.

COP31 has gathered government representatives, climate negotiators, scientists, civil society organisations, businesses, and other stakeholders to discuss responses to the global climate crisis. The conference will run from 9 to 20 November.