The 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) opened in Antalya on Monday amid the absence of several major world leaders, raising fresh questions about global political commitment to tackling climate change.
With the world's largest economies facing growing pressure to cut emissions, deliver climate finance and accelerate adaptation, the summit faces a critical test: whether governments can turn years of climate pledges into concrete action.
US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not expected to attend. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are also expected to stay away.
An early UN speakers' list, which remains subject to change, includes leaders from 77 countries scheduled to address the Antalya Leaders' Summit on November 11-12.
Turkiye's Environment Minister Murat Kurum and Australia's Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen opened the conference alongside UN climate chief Simon Stiell.
COP31 runs until November 20 under an unusual leadership arrangement. Turkiye is hosting the summit, with Kurum serving as COP President, while Australia is responsible for leading the formal negotiations. Turkiye is also overseeing the voluntary climate action agenda.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose country hosted COP30 in Belém, is expected to attend, with inequality between developed and developing nations likely to feature prominently in his message. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also participate. The UK delegation will include Andy Burnham and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
US absence raises concerns over global cooperation
The United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement took effect in January 2026. Washington has also moved to withdraw from the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the foundation of international climate negotiations.
The absence of the world's largest historical emitter creates a significant challenge for global climate diplomacy.
The consequences go beyond the absence of US representatives at the summit. Washington's retreat raises questions about international efforts to mobilise climate finance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintain collective pressure on major polluters.
The US position could also complicate efforts to secure stronger commitments from other major economies.
For COP31, the challenge is to prevent political divisions from weakening the multilateral climate process and undermining the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
1.5°C limit faces mounting pressure
Global temperatures have reached alarming levels. The past two years have been the hottest on record, with annual global temperatures reaching or exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
For climate-vulnerable countries, the growing risk of exceeding 1.5°C is not an abstract scientific debate. It represents more destructive cyclones, prolonged heatwaves, worsening floods, agricultural losses and increasing threats to human health and livelihoods.
Climate finance remains the central dispute
Climate finance is expected to remain one of the most contentious issues at COP31.
Developing countries are demanding predictable, accessible and additional financial support to address climate impacts, strengthen resilience and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy.
They are also seeking greater access to grants rather than loans, arguing that debt-based financing can deepen the economic vulnerabilities of countries already struggling with climate-related losses.
The debate is not simply about how much money wealthy countries promise. It is also about whether that funding reaches vulnerable communities, whether it is available when needed and whether it comes with conditions that developing countries can realistically meet.
For Bangladesh, the outcome of these negotiations has direct implications.
Despite contributing a relatively small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, Bangladesh remains among the countries highly exposed to climate risks. Rising sea levels, cyclones, river erosion, recurrent flooding and saltwater intrusion threaten coastal communities, agriculture, freshwater supplies and livelihoods.
The country needs substantial investment in climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure. It also requires international support to address loss and damage caused by climate impacts that can no longer be avoided.
Without adequate international financing, the burden will increasingly fall on vulnerable communities and developing countries with limited resources.
Climate justice therefore requires more than financial promises. It demands accountability from major historical emitters and a fair distribution of the costs of the global climate crisis.
From promises to implementation
The world does not lack climate agreements, scientific evidence or technological solutions. Renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure and cleaner industrial technologies are increasingly available.
What remains inadequate is the political commitment, financing and accountability required to implement them at the necessary scale.
For developing countries, COP31 must deliver more than another declaration of ambition. It must produce measurable progress on climate finance, adaptation, loss and damage, technology transfer and emissions reductions.
The credibility of the Paris Agreement will increasingly depend on whether countries honour their commitments rather than repeatedly announcing new targets.
For communities on the frontline of climate change, the consequences of diplomatic failure are already visible in damaged homes, lost livelihoods, declining agricultural productivity and growing displacement.
As negotiations begin in Antalya, the central question is whether world governments can bridge the widening gap between climate commitments and actual delivery.
The absence of several major leaders may cast a shadow over the summit. But it must not become an excuse for governments to avoid their responsibilities.
For climate-vulnerable nations such as Bangladesh, the real measure of COP31 will be whether international promises finally translate into finance, protection and action on the ground.
