UN climate chief Simon Stiell urges swift action at COP31 in Turkey

The United Nations climate chief, Simon Stiell, warned delegates at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, on Saturday to “avoid tactical delays” as they negotiate a deal to keep global warming below 2 °C. More than 200 nations are gathered in the Mediterranean city for the second week of talks, while thousands of activists marched through the streets demanding urgent action.

The meeting comes at a moment when many governments are focusing on inflation, wars and debt, and are scaling back pledges for clean‑energy investment. Developing countries still need billions of dollars to adapt to climate impacts, but the financial commitments are being watered down. Fossil‑fuel‑rich nations are also pressuring negotiators to keep targets for oil and gas phase‑outs modest, slowing progress on the hardest issues.

Protesters from civil‑society groups around the world converged on Antalya, with tens of thousands marching for climate protection and human rights. South African activist Zaki Mamdoo said profit‑driven policies dominate the global agenda and must be challenged. Luisa Nebauer, the lead organizer of Germany’s Fridays for Future movement, lamented the absence of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders, warning that inaction will let the planet destabilise by the hour. Turkish authorities allowed the rally despite a history of banning large gatherings, and a parallel “People’s Climate Summit” brought together hundreds of domestic and international NGOs.

Stiell urged parties to move quickly to the most difficult topics, including unlocking finance, cutting methane emissions and ending the use of super‑pollutants. He said an agreement is “tough but vital work” and that no collective success is possible without compromise from every party. If negotiators can resist delaying tactics, the summit could produce a landmark accord that steers the world toward a low‑carbon future and signals that climate action remains a priority despite competing crises.