From November 9 to 20, governments, scientists, activists, corporate lobbyists, diplomats, indigenous representatives, and communities affected by climate change will gather in Antalya, Turkey, for COP31. This annual meeting of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change takes place after a year in which ignoring the climate crisis has become increasingly untenable.
Scientific Warnings and Legal Obligations
In September 2026, the United Nations formally acknowledged for the first time that the world is on track to exceed the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels within the coming years. This warning arrived as global temperatures continued to rise, setting new records over the previous two months. The scientific facts are indisputable, legal commitments are non-negotiable, and the risks to human rights are unimaginable.
Human activities, particularly the extraction and burning of coal, oil, and gas, drive planetary heating and exacerbate threats to human rights. Governments cannot portray inaction on climate change as neutral; such delay, especially when coupled with tax, policy, and regulatory support for fossil fuels, constitutes deliberate choices made against overwhelming evidence, with devastating consequences for people and their rights.
Turkey and Australia’s Shared Leadership
The acronym “COP” refers to the Conference of the Parties, the primary decision-making forum of the UNFCCC, established in 1992 and the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. These conferences bring nearly all nations together to negotiate collective action based on historical responsibility and capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, and support countries and communities facing losses and damages.
This year’s unusual arrangement places significant responsibility on Turkey and Australia as co-hosts. Turkey will host the conference, while Australia will lead the formal negotiations. Both nations must demonstrate credible climate leadership without using each other’s shortcomings as distractions. Turkey’s continued pursuit of fossil gas keeps it on a high-emissions path, while Australia faces the contradiction between its role in leading global climate negotiations and its ongoing support for fossil fuel extraction and use.
Pacific Islands and Human Rights
Preparatory meetings and leader events were held in Fiji and Tuvalu from October 5 to 8, placing Pacific leadership and priorities at the forefront. Amnesty International has documented how climate change already harms human rights in Tuvalu, Kiribati, and other Pacific island nations. Rising sea levels, extreme heat, droughts, and saltwater intrusion threaten rights to water, food, health, adequate housing, culture, and a secure future.
Students from the Pacific region appealed to the highest court in the world in their struggle against climate change, prompting the International Court of Justice to issue a historic advisory opinion in July 2025. This opinion clearly affirmed that governments are legally obligated to protect human rights from the impacts of climate change. After more than 30 years of climate negotiations, governments can no longer rely on promises of future action.
Urgency of Immediate Action
Science has settled the matter, solutions are available, and resources exist. Continued procrastination is a political choice protecting the fossil fuel sector while Pacific communities lose their lands, livelihoods, rights, and cultural heritage. As negotiation president, Australia bears the responsibility to ensure Pacific demands translate into tangible outcomes at COP31. It cannot credibly claim international climate leadership while expanding fossil fuel projects domestically, which worsens harm to Indigenous peoples, Pacific neighbors, and other vulnerable communities.
Every degree matters for human life and the planet. Governments must urgently reduce emissions through a just and fair phase-out of fossil fuels, protect affected communities, and prevent warming from reaching more dangerous levels. However, many major economies continue approving new fossil fuel production projects and extending reliance on coal, oil, and gas through subsidies and tax exemptions. The fossil fuel sector remains a powerful actor influencing policies and legislation locally and internationally, undermining climate science and fragmenting the social solidarity necessary for climate action.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
