The first day of the COP31 leaders’ summit, held in Antalya, Turkey, was marked by the absence of several heads of state from major powers, while those in attendance addressed waste management, the expansion of clean electricity, and the phase-out of fossil fuels.

RELATED:

ECLAC to Promote Climate Adaptation as a Development Strategy at COP-31

The day’s proceedings highlighted how geopolitical tensions—linked to war and economic crisis—have impacted participation in the climate summit. Notable absentees included U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among other international leaders.

Nevertheless, several key figures traveled to Antalya, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.

At the COP31 UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkiye, delegates and global business leaders rallied behind accelerating the electrification of the global economy to fight climate change and boost energy security.

The presidency of the summit unveiled the “35 by 2035”… pic.twitter.com/i6Cw7rlAz6

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 10, 2026

The leaders’ summit is part of the high-level segment of COP31 and is taking place in accordance with the official schedule of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The central theme of the third day of COP31 was the “Zero Waste” goal—an agenda tied to the circular economy and the reduction of waste generated on a global scale. Sonja Schmid, an expert with the Climate Action Accelerator, warned that waste generation is increasing “faster than anticipated.”

Schmid noted that the East Asia and Pacific region generates the largest share of the world’s waste, while North America has the highest rate of waste production per capita. According to the event’s official program, the day included a roundtable discussion among leaders focused on “Zero Waste, Circularity, and Methane.” The Turkish presidency presented a report proposing an increase in the share of electrical energy from the current 23% to 35% by 2035, under the formula “35 x 35.” The proposal was met with enthusiasm by von der Leyen, who stated that “the world has entered the age of electricity.”

The President of the European Commission noted that more than 70% of Europe’s electricity already comes from clean sources and affirmed that the European Union will meet its climate commitments. “Europe must do even more, and it will,” she declared.

Guterres and fossil fuels

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

Una publicación compartida por teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

In his remarks, Guterres delivered one of the most-quoted lines of the day: “Fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs—but that won’t happen on its own. Dinosaurs didn’t have a lobby, but fossil fuels do.”

The UN Secretary-General, who will step down from his post at the end of this year, hopes to conclude his term with a historic climate agreement. His message focused on the need to accelerate the energy transition and reduce dependence on oil, gas, and coal.

For its part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expanded the discussion beyond the climate agenda, denouncing the situation in Gaza. He asserted that the Palestinian territory is suffering a genocide at the hands of the invading Israeli army, as well as an environmental catastrophe—citing the felling of centuries-old olive trees, the contamination of soil and water, and the transformation of cities into “enormous mountains of rubble.”

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the devastating effects on his country’s environment caused by attacks from the United States and Israel.

Turkey used COP31 as an opportunity to promote its image as a tourist destination. The opening ceremony featured a performance by the folk dance company “Fire of Anatolia” and a presentation by the Ministry of Defence’s Mehteran military band—outfitted in traditional Ottoman costumes and considered the oldest of its kind in the world.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.