World leaders clash on priorities at COP31 climate talks

World leaders set out competing demands at the COP31 climate talks in Turkey. Small island states urged emission cuts while fossil fuel producers defended oil.

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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, November 12, 2026. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

World leaders set clashing priorities at the COP31 climate talks in Turkey, leaving negotiators struggling to draft a unified deal over two days of intense speeches. The summit opened as global temperatures push past the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Small island states demanded immediate emission cuts, while fossil fuel producers defended continued oil and gas output.