COP31 enters final week with fossil fuel divide unresolved as UN climate chief urges speed

The United Nations' top climate official on Saturday urged negotiators at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, to move swiftly towards a deal and 'avoid tactical delays' as the summit heads into its second and final week. The annual conference faces new challenges this year, as crises from war to inflation push global warming down the list of priorities for many governments.

As the first week closed, observers said the biggest fossil fuel producers and consumers were resisting any agreement that would set firm new targets or commit to shifting away from oil, gas and coal. That entrenched position presents a serious challenge for the summit's host Turkey and for Australia, which holds the lead negotiator role and has one more week to land the kind of ambitious agreement that climate advocates say is needed to address the worsening impacts of global warming.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said each country had a voice, but agreement on every word and sentence required compromise by all parties. He called for the hardest questions to be tackled quickly rather than postponed. A UN assessment released last month found that the world was on course to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, the threshold scientists say is needed to limit the worst consequences.

Australia's President of Negotiations for COP31, Chris Bowen, said he expected the first draft of an agreement early next week. Stiell described engagement so far as constructive, while acknowledging that the familiar tensions were clear.

Turkey's electrification proposal

Turkey wants a plan to expand global electrification at the centre of the deal. It argues that moving cars, boilers, furnaces and other equipment from fossil fuels to electricity would accelerate emissions reductions. However, the proposal does not require the extra electricity to come from renewable energy, disappointing delegations and observers seeking a clearer route away from fossil fuels.

Familiar divisions and an absent major consumer

Saudi Arabia and Russia have traditionally opposed language that would constrain fossil fuel use. India and other large developing economies resist provisions they say would narrow their development and energy choices. Those positions have weakened previous deals. The United States, the biggest oil consumer, has stayed away for a second year under President Donald Trump, who dismisses global warming as a hoax and supports continued fossil fuel use.