UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the COP31 climate summit as a «moment of truth» for world leaders, urging them to act now rather than postpone difficult decisions. He warned that worsening climate disasters demand a faster response and rejected any attempt to shift responsibility onto others.
The talks open Monday in Antalya, Turkey, and will run for two weeks. Nearly 200 countries are taking part, with negotiations led on the Australian side by climate minister Chris Bowen. Among the proposals Guterres put forward is a tax on the profits of fossil fuel companies, with the revenue directed toward climate action.
Australia is under pressure to support a global move away from coal, gas and oil. The country has a fossil fuel export industry worth about US$100 billion, which makes its position in the negotiations especially closely watched. The discussions are also overshadowed by the Middle East conflict and an oil price crisis, which may compete for attention and political bandwidth.
Guterres' message reflects a broader warning that human activity is heating the planet, threatening both people and nature. It remains uncertain whether Australia will back a fossil fuel phase-out agreement, and whether leaders will agree to tax fossil fuel profits. Those two questions are likely to define how much the Antalya talks deliver.
Credit. Based on reporting by Yashasvi Vasistha for Environment News, Earth News, Global Warming, Wild Life, Carbon Trading, Climate Business, Climate Change & Pollution Ne. Is this your work? Write to us.
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