UN chief urges world leaders to tackle fossil fuels at COP31

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged leaders at the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye to phase out fossil fuels, saying the transition would not happen by itself. His appeal comes as the world’s largest emitters and several major leaders are absent, raising questions about the level of political engagement at the talks.

The summit is being held in Antalya on 11 November 2026. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is attending, while the leaders of France, Germany and Italy are staying away; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are also absent. China’s President Xi Jinping is represented by Vice-President Han Zheng, while the United States has sent no officials; the US and China are the world’s two biggest emitters.