The 31st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) took place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9-20, against the backdrop of a series of extreme weather events occurring worldwide .
With emission reduction commitments failing to keep pace with reality, the urgent challenge for the international community is not only to raise ambitions but also to translate targets on paper into concrete financial resources and actions.
Nature doesn't wait.
The global climate picture for 2026 continues to cast a shadow of concern over the international community's response efforts. The European Union's climate monitoring agency, Copernicus, warns that 2026 could be the second hottest year on record.
Furthermore, Copernicus stated that there is a 20% probability that temperatures in 2026 will equal or surpass the record set in the hottest year of 2024. Prolonged heatwaves , droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall and flooding are occurring in many areas, causing serious damage to lives and property, and threatening food security, water resources, and production.
In Europe and the Mediterranean region, temperatures in many places exceeded 46 degrees Celsius during the summer. Türkiye also suffered a severe drought as rainfall in some areas dropped sharply.