Climate summit

A campaign is calling for national delegations to the COP31 climate summit to exclude fossil fuel lobbyists entirely. The push aims to prevent oil, gas and coal industry representatives from influencing negotiations at the UN climate talks. Advocates argue industry presence undermines the credibility and ambition of the summit's outcomes.

UN Climate Change has introduced a new strategy for its Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) initiative ahead of the COP31 climate summit. The plan focuses on leveraging creativity from the entertainment and culture sectors to drive public engagement and climate action. Observers see it as an effort to broaden the reach of climate diplomacy beyond formal negotiations.

Attention is turning to COP31, the upcoming UN climate summit to be hosted in Türkiye, with a widespread call that 'it is time to change our planet.' The message is drawing millions of engagements globally, reflecting public pressure on world leaders ahead of the talks. Commenters are framing the summit as a decisive moment for stronger climate action and emissions commitments.

Turkey has announced an initiative addressing artificial intelligence ahead of the COP31 climate summit. COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum said governments must openly discuss AI's growing energy consumption and 'start setting the terms,' signalling that the technology's power demands will be placed on the climate agenda. The move frames AI as an emerging environmental issue requiring international policy coordination.

Türkiye's Zero Waste Movement, launched under First Lady Emine Erdogan's patronage, has entered its ninth year, with attention turning to COP31 as a platform to advance the initiative internationally. The movement has promoted recycling and waste reduction across Turkish schools, businesses and households since 2017, and backers hope upcoming climate talks will give its waste-management goals fresh global momentum.

Tuvalu's foreign minister has warned that rising sea levels pose an existential threat to the low-lying Pacific island nation, speaking ahead of the COP31 climate summit. The statement underscores Tuvalu's long-standing position as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, as it pushes for stronger international commitments on emissions and support for nations facing inundation.

At a pre-COP meeting, a Pacific leader declared that the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels is 'not open for renegotiation', delivering the message during a traditional exchange of views at the end of a three-hour visit. The firm stance has drawn attention to tensions with fossil-fuel-supporting governments, including Australia, ahead of the climate summit.

Attention is turning to climate finance ahead of and around the COP31 UN climate summit, which Türkiye is hosting. Delegates, campaigners and observers are debating how wealthy countries will fund climate action in developing nations, including pledges, adaptation money and mechanisms agreed after previous summits. The funding question is seen as one of the biggest sticking points for a meaningful outcome.

Climate Week NYC 2026 has wrapped up, with commentators publishing closing reflections on what was achieved. As in previous years, the event brought together governments, businesses and campaigners to discuss emissions targets, clean energy and climate finance. Early write-ups are assessing the commitments made and whether this year's summit moved the needle on implementation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned that the country faces a summer of extreme weather, telling delegates at a pre-COP gathering in Tuvalu and Fiji that a brewing 'super El Niño' in the Pacific shows climate change is 'here right now'. His remarks come as Pacific island leaders press major emitters for stronger climate action ahead of the UN climate summit.

Ministers and world leaders from more than 50 countries are meeting in Nadi, Fiji, for the Pacific Pre-COP31 climate talks. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka opened the gathering by saying the science has spoken and that doing nothing on climate change is no longer a neutral position. The Pacific meeting is expected to build momentum ahead of the COP31 negotiations.

Pacific island nations are pressing for the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit to be firmly entrenched in negotiations at the COP climate summit. The states, among those most threatened by rising seas, want the target preserved in the final outcome despite pressure from some larger economies to water down language. Reuters and other outlets report the diplomatic push is shaping up as a key flashpoint of the talks.

BBVA has been named co-chair of the Climate Finance and Investments Working Group at the COP31 Business Forum. The role places the Spanish bank at the centre of discussions on mobilising private capital for climate investment, and reinforces its positioning as a leading lender in sustainable finance ahead of the UN climate summit.

Delegates at the latest international climate summit have issued a warning that current efforts are insufficient and stronger action is needed to curb global warming. The statement, reported by Reuters, underscores growing frustration among negotiators and scientists that national commitments remain short of the emissions cuts needed to meet agreed temperature targets.

Amnesty International is calling on world leaders ahead of the COP31 climate summit to support Pacific Island nations with concrete action rather than speeches. The human rights group says Pacific communities face severe climate impacts and need commitments on emissions cuts and support, urging governments to treat the region's concerns as central to negotiations.

UN Türkiye and its partners say they are advancing South–South cooperation on climate ahead of the COP31 summit, working with developing countries to share climate solutions and strengthen coordination. The initiative focuses on collaboration among developing nations on mitigation, adaptation and finance as preparations build for the next round of global climate talks.

Tuvalu's land reclamation project is drawing attention from Pacific leaders ahead of a United Nations climate summit. The low-lying atoll nation is building up land to protect its population from rising seas, and its progress is being closely watched as a possible model for other vulnerable island states ahead of the UN meeting.

The President of the European Court of Human Rights is in Vatican City for a summit examining the role of judges in climate litigation and human rights. The gathering brings legal figures together to discuss how courts are increasingly being asked to rule on climate obligations and the protection of fundamental rights. Details of attendees and outcomes remain limited so far.

Commentary in the Times of India argues that Türkiye should use so-called 'baklava diplomacy' — leveraging its famed dessert and hospitality culture — to strengthen its position in COP31 climate negotiations. The piece suggests cultural charm and soft power could help Ankara build alliances and punch above its weight in climate diplomacy, as the contest to host and shape the UN summit draws attention.

A Pacific leader has told a pre-COP climate gathering that the agreement made at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels must stand, warning it is 'not open for renegotiation'. The intervention comes as countries prepare for upcoming UN climate talks, with Pacific island states pressing wealthier nations to preserve commitments to phase out oil, gas and coal amid concerns backsliding could stall progress.

Turkish non-governmental organisations are preparing to use the COP31 UN climate summit as a rare platform for environmental advocacy. France 24 reports that the conference offers civil society groups in Turkey unusual space to push climate action, in a country where NGOs often face constrained operating conditions and limited influence over national environmental policy.

Australia has said a prospective COP31 co-presidency, which it would share with Pacific island nations, would work on a cover decision — the summit's final political text outlining collective climate commitments. The statement addresses questions about how a joint Turkish-Australian arrangement, following a last-minute compromise at COP30, would handle the sensitive job of brokering agreement among nearly 200 countries.

A Pacific leader has told a pre-Cop climate meeting that the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels is 'not open for renegotiation'. The remarks come ahead of the next UN climate summit, where some countries are expected to push back on the phasing-out commitment. Pacific island states, highly vulnerable to rising seas, have been among the strongest defenders of the deal, warning that any weakening would threaten their survival.

Chitose Noguchi, the UN Development Programme's Resident Representative, delivered a speech at a COP31 simulation event, where participants model the UN climate negotiations ahead of the real summit. The address, shared by the United Nations Development Programme, highlights the agency's efforts to engage delegates and young negotiators in climate diplomacy and preparedness for the upcoming climate conference.

The UN Secretary-General has called on developed countries to deliver climate finance and technology transfers to help vulnerable nations build resilience to climate change, speaking ahead of COP31, which Türkiye is set to host. The appeal presses wealthy governments to honour their commitments as negotiations over funding for adaptation and clean technology continue to divide developed and developing countries ahead of the summit.

Yale School of the Environment is highlighting the gap between climate financing commitments made by governments and institutions and their actual delivery. The discussion focuses on how pledged funds for climate mitigation and adaptation can be translated into concrete projects, with questions around accountability, disbursement mechanisms and whether wealthy nations will follow through on their promises to developing countries.

A dialogue event in Muğla, Türkiye, organised with United Nations involvement, is gathering local climate priorities as part of preparations on the road to COP31. The initiative aims to make sure regional and community-level concerns feed into international climate negotiations, highlighting how local voices are being included in the global summit process.

The incoming COP31 presidency has outlined its expectations ahead of the Pacific pre-COP meeting, a gathering that brings together climate negotiators, particularly small island states, to build consensus before the main UN climate summit. The statement signals priorities for the negotiations and seeks alignment among participants on key issues heading into the talks.

The UN's top climate official has warned that rising extreme heat poses a serious danger to pregnant women, mothers and newborn babies, speaking at the pre-COP meeting held ahead of the next UN climate summit. The intervention urges governments to treat heat as a health emergency for vulnerable groups, and puts maternal and infant health on the agenda as countries prepare their negotiating positions.

A Fijian government minister is pressing for improved climate finance arrangements ahead of the COP negotiations, describing the issue as personal for Pacific islanders facing climate impacts. Small island states have long argued that existing funding flows to help them adapt and recover from climate-related disasters fall far short of what is needed.

UN climate change conferences are drawing renewed attention as governments and observers track progress on global emissions commitments. The annual COP gatherings bring world leaders, negotiators, businesses and activists together to agree on targets for limiting warming, funding adaptation in vulnerable countries and phasing down fossil fuels. Coverage is focusing on whether upcoming talks can deliver on pledges made at previous summits.