"Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs, but that won't happen on its own" said UN chief Antonio Guterres at the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Nov 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Murad Sezer)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Nov 11, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Murad Sezer)
LEADERS MISSING
While European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen is coming to Antalya, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are staying away. COP31 coincides with an EU leaders' summit in Ireland on Thursday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi are also absent from the most recent list.
Unsurprisingly, US President Donald Trump, who pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement and has not sent officials to climate talks since his re-election in 2024, is not attending the summit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who rarely attends COPs, will be represented by Vice President Han Zheng. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also absent.
The United States and China are the world's top economies and biggest emitters of planet-heating emissions.