‘Make or bake time’: Guterres urges climate justice pact as leaders gather at COP31

Sunrise over COP31 as participants arrived as early as 5am to avoid traffic closures.

UN chief António Guterres called for a new global climate justice agreement at COP31 on Wednesday, urging governments to tax fossil fuel companies to help countries bearing the brunt of a crisis they did little to cause. His appeal came as world leaders gathered in Antalya amid unresolved questions over climate finance and the future of fossil fuels.

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Today saw packed corridors at the COP31 conference venue in Antalya as world leaders arrived for a two-day high-level Summit, bringing tighter security, road closures and an early start for delegates, some of whom reached the venue as early as 5 a.m.

Those who arrived before dawn were rewarded with a spectacular sunrise. Later, at the opening ceremony, traditional Turkish dancing, colourful performances, videos and even a COP31 theme song gave the opening ceremony an unusually festive air for a gathering confronting one of the world’s most pressing crises.

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