Rome, 9 Nov. (LaPresse/AP) – World leaders, delegates and climate activists will begin negotiations today to curb climate change, which over the past year has caused rising temperatures and deadly heatwaves in Europe and elsewhere, whilst also contributing to disasters such as the devastating floods in Nepal. The United Nations climate summit, known as the Conference of the Parties (COP31), is taking place against a backdrop marked by the war in Iran, which has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing a rise in global prices for petrol, oil and a host of related products, such as fertilisers and pesticides. This situation has prompted governments to rethink their energy policies, both in the short and long term, aiming, amongst other things, for greater investment in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Most world leaders will not arrive until Wednesday; however, many prominent figures, who lead the countries that pollute the most, will be absent: from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement. According to The Guardian, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also be absent.
Climate: COP31 gets underway in Turkey, with leaders of the biggest polluting nations absent
Rome, 9 Nov. (LaPresse/AP) – World leaders, delegates and climate activists will begin negotiations today to curb climate change, which over the past year has caused rising temperatures and deadly heatwaves in Europe and elsewhere, whilst also contributing to disasters such as the devastating floods in Nepal. The United Nations climate summit, known as the Conference of the Parties (COP31), is taking place against a backdrop marked by the war in Iran, which has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing a rise in global prices for petrol, oil and a host of related products, such as fertilisers and pesticides. This situation has prompted governments to rethink their energy policies, both in the short and long term, aiming, amongst other things, for greater investment in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Most world leaders will not arrive until Wednesday; however, many prominent figures, who lead the countries that pollute the most, will be absent: from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement. According to The Guardian, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also be absent.