COP31 opens in Turkey amidst leader absences and rising climate concerns

The two-week conference began earlier this week in Antalya, a Mediterranean resort city, placing governments under pressure to address the climate crisis following a year marked by heatwaves in Europe, flooding in Nepal, and wildfires in Indonesia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected to speak during the “high-level segment” taking place today and tomorrow.

However, the absence of key leaders has drawn attention. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only leader from a G7 nation currently scheduled to speak. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen will be present, while French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will not attend. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi are also not on the list.

“It is a shame that some of the bigger European leaders aren’t coming. We need Europe to be showing up strongly at this COP,” stated Cosima Cassel, a climate diplomacy expert at E3G.

Wopke Hoekstra, the EU’s top climate official, acknowledged the absences, suggesting they may be due to “practical” reasons. He also indicated that expectations for the conference are tempered.

Masoud Pezeshkian plans to use the platform to voice Iran’s perspective on environmental destruction linked to conflict. “At this conference, we will speak about the actions of the United States and Israel in destroying the environment,” he stated according to Iranian state television.

The French government explained Macron’s absence due to his attendance at World War I Armistice Day commemorations and an Irish EU Presidency summit in Dublin.

Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network Europe, emphasized the importance of leader participation for influencing the global energy transition.

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and has not sent officials to climate talks since his re-election in 2024, is not attending. Chinese President Xi Jinping will be represented by Vice President Han Zheng.

“But we have Lula,” Cassel remarked, referencing the relief felt by climate campaigners following Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s recent presidential election.

As the host, Turkey is promoting a voluntary initiative to accelerate electrification across transport, buildings, and industry, aiming for electricity to account for 35% of global energy consumption by 2035. The EU has stressed that this electrification must be “clean,” potentially leading to debate regarding the role of fossil fuels. Nations have struggled to advance the goal of transitioning away from fossil fuels, established in 2023, at subsequent COP conferences.