World Leaders Skip COP31 Summit in Turkiye, Raising Concern
· World · The Hindu, France 24
World leaders are attending COP31 in Antalya, Turkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026, but several prominent figures are absent from the annual UN climate summit. Turkiye, the host, is promoting a voluntary initiative to increase electricity's share of global energy consumption to 35% by 2035, focusing on transport, buildings, and industry electrification. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian are among those scheduled to speak. However, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only G7 leader confirmed, while French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi are not attending. Observers express disappointment, noting the need for strong European leadership at the conference.
Why it matters
The absence of key world leaders, particularly from G7 nations, could diminish the summit's impact and global commitment to tackling climate change. This may hinder efforts to accelerate climate action and achieve the ambitious targets needed to address intensifying global warming.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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