As COP31 prepares to open in Antalya on Monday, 9 November, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to treat the climate negotiations as a moment for action rather than another exchange of responsibilities. The United Nations says the conference runs from 9 to 20 November and will bring representatives from more than 190 countries together.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Guterres said scientists told him last year that he could no longer claim the world could keep warming below the Paris Agreement’s preferred 1.5°C limit. The challenge now, he said, is to limit how far temperatures overshoot that threshold. His remarks put pressure on governments to translate pledges into sustained emissions cuts and investment.

Guterres also argued that fossil-fuel windfall profits should help support countries facing the harshest climate impacts. The summit opens amid wars and energy shocks, which he said have exposed the security risks of continued dependence on fossil fuels. The scale of the task is clear; whether negotiations produce stronger commitments and practical support will be a key test of COP31.