The COP31 climate talks open in Turkey today, but only 77 leaders are listed to speak, a third fewer than at COP28. Are yearly UN climate summits still worth it?

What happened

COP31 opened in Antalya on 9 November and runs to 20 November. Turkey holds the presidency through environment minister Murat Kurum, and Australia's Chris Bowen leads the negotiations. A provisional UN list shows leaders from 77 countries due to speak on 11-12 November, against 116 at COP28 in Dubai. Apart from the co-hosts, only the UK, Brazil and China have G20 speakers at head of state or government level. Researchers warn that 2026 will almost certainly see warming pass 1.5C, and a UN forecast puts current policies on track for 2.8C by 2100.

Why people disagree

Supporters say COPs are the only place where nearly 200 countries, including the small island states most at risk, negotiate together, and that the process produced the Paris Agreement. Critics say a decade of summits has not stopped warming heading past the Paris goals, that consensus rules let any country block progress and most pledges are voluntary. The thin turnout, they argue, shows leaders already treat COPs as optional, so smaller deals between big emitters might move faster.

What's still unclear

It's unclear whether the voluntary electrification pledge and fossil fuel roadmap will make it into the final text, whether more leaders will be added to the speakers' list, and whether the shared Turkey-Australia presidency will help or slow a deal.