COP31 climate talks in Turkey hit by clashes over emissions, finance and fossil fuels

World leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey have set out sharply different positions, leaving negotiators with the task of trying to shape a deal that can command broad support. Over two days of speeches, small island states called for urgent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, while European leaders backed a push to expand electrification. Developing countries also pressed for more climate finance, and fossil-fuel producers argued that oil, gas and coal should continue to be used.

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, told the conference that her country reaffirmed its sovereign right to strengthen its energy and oil industry as a driver of national development. That position came after UN leaders had argued for ending the age of fossil fuels. Australia is leading the negotiations, with Chris Bowen saying his role is to steer consensus rather than impose a particular outcome, and that he still had many more hours of consultations ahead.

The talks are being hosted by Turkey at a time when climate diplomacy is under pressure from wider global events. Bowen said wars and inflation have pushed climate concerns down the political agenda, making agreement harder to reach. The conference has also been marked by calls from climate activists for governments to treat the issue as urgent rather than secondary to short-term political concerns.

The stakes are high because the negotiations are taking place against a backdrop of worsening climate science. A UN report last month said the world was already on course to break through the 1.5C warming limit that countries agreed to pursue under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Small island states, including the Bahamas, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and Saint Lucia, are among those most exposed to rising sea levels and have been among the strongest voices calling for faster action.

The divisions at COP31 reflect a long-running split in climate talks between countries that want faster emissions cuts and those that want more time, more money or more flexibility. Richer countries are under pressure to provide finance to developing states, while fossil-fuel producers continue to resist language that would accelerate a phaseout. That tension has made it difficult in past summits to turn broad climate goals into language all parties can accept.

What remains unclear is how far negotiators can narrow those gaps in the coming days and whether the final text will include stronger commitments on emissions, electrification, finance or fossil fuels. Bowen said there were still many consultations to come, suggesting the shape of any deal is still open. The main issue to watch is whether the conference can produce a consensus outcome that satisfies vulnerable states without losing support from major producers and developing economies.

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