COP31 Climate Summit Opens in Turkey Without Israeli Delegation Amid Waning Global Urgency
The COP31 UN climate summit opened in Antalya without Israeli representation, as global leaders gather amid warnings that the earth is heading toward catastrophic warming.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) opened on Monday in Antalya, Turkey, drawing representatives from over 190 nations through November 20. Israel is completely absent from the 31st annual summit, lacking any political or professional representation due to a lack of security clearance and strained diplomatic ties between host Turkey and Israel. Last year, outgoing Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman attempted to withdraw Israel from the climate convention, while her ministry significantly downplayed environmental policies.
The summit convenes amid increasingly alarming climate data. Global temperatures from January to September 2026 averaged 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, making 2026 one of the hottest years on record. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the years 2015 through 2026 mark the 12 warmest consecutive years in recorded history, with sea levels reaching record highs and the El Nino phenomenon peaking in December.
Political urgency appears to be waning globally, with a third fewer leaders attending compared to the Dubai summit, and the Trump administration sending no delegates. A new report by 80 scientists warns that under current policies, the world is heading toward a catastrophic 2.8 degrees Celsius warming, which threatens irreversible damage to polar ice sheets and glaciers.
Turkey's role as host has drawn criticism from environmental groups, as Climate Action Tracker rates the country's climate policies as critically insufficient, and its main sponsor is Koç Holding, Turkey's largest conglomerate heavily reliant on energy and refining.
