The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) has officially opened in Antalya, Türkiye, with COP31 President Murat Kurum calling on countries to move beyond climate commitments and translate their promises into practical action.

Addressing delegates at the opening ceremony on Monday, November 9, 2026, Kurum said climate change could no longer be addressed in isolation from other global challenges, including conflict, debt, food insecurity and economic pressures.

“Climate policy today is also development policy. It is food policy. Energy policy. Urban policy. Health policy,” he said.

He described COP31 as an “Implementation COP”, stressing the need to close the gap between commitments made during international negotiations and tangible improvements in people's lives.

Kurum reaffirmed the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, describing it as the guiding benchmark for global climate action.

He also pledged that delegates would be “frank about what the science tells us” as countries discuss ways to accelerate climate action.

The urgency of the discussions was underscored by the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Climate Update 2026, released on the opening day. The report indicates that each of the past 12 years has been among the warmest on record, with the last four ranking as the four warmest.

Kurum outlined two major priorities for the Turkish Presidency: the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge and increased climate financing for developing countries.

The electrification initiative seeks to raise electricity's share of final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035.

On climate finance, the Presidency is pushing for at least $300 billion annually for developing countries by 2035, with the broader goal of scaling up funding from all sources to $1.3 trillion a year.

COP31 President of Negotiations Chris Bowen of Australia said the conference offered an opportunity to demonstrate what international cooperation could achieve for climate action and global energy security.

He also emphasised the need to bridge the gap between commitments and implementation.

Meanwhile, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell cautioned that global progress remained inadequate, warning that it was “nowhere near fast or fair enough”.

He also reminded delegates that no single COP could resolve the climate crisis, underscoring the need for sustained action beyond the annual conferences.

The first day of COP31 placed particular emphasis on food, agriculture and health, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on food systems and public health.

A major development was the launch of the Antalya Initiative for Resilient Health Systems, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative is intended to support countries in strengthening their health systems against climate-related risks.

For Ghana and other African countries, the discussions carry significant implications, particularly for farmers, coastal communities and urban populations increasingly exposed to floods, droughts and rising temperatures.

The key test will be whether commitments on climate finance, electrification and adaptation translate into practical support for vulnerable communities and countries that face the greatest climate risks.

COP31 is scheduled to run from November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye.

Story by Mawuli Ahorlumegah reporting from the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Türkiye