COP31 opens in Turkey with major leaders missing as climate stakes rise

The COP31 UN Climate Change Conference kicked off this week in Antalya, Turkey, running through late November. Dozens of leaders are speaking, but the guest list reveals troubling gaps: British PM Andy Burnham is the only G7 head of government attending. French President Macron, German Chancellor Merz, Italian PM Meloni, Canadian PM Carney, and Japanese PM Takaichi are all absent. US President Trump isn't coming (hasn't sent officials since 2024 re-election), and China's Xi Jinping sent his VP instead.

EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra admits expectations "are not necessarily high." Iran's President Pezeshkian plans to use the stage to accuse the US and Israel of environmental destruction in war. Host Turkey is pushing a voluntary electrification target — 35% of global energy from electricity by 2035 — but the EU insists it must be "clean" electrification, setting up friction over gas and coal.

One bright spot: researchers say global fossil fuel emissions may dip slightly in 2026, driven by renewable expansion and an oil price shock from the Iran war. Brazil's Lula, fresh off an October election win over Bolsonaro, brings credibility on forest protection.

For Nigeria, this matters directly. As an oil-dependent economy facing worsening floods and desertification, Nigeria needs wealthy nations to show up with climate finance, not empty chairs. The electrification debate shapes whether gas — Nigeria's transition fuel — gets funded or phased out. Lula's Amazon stance could unlock forest-carbon partnerships for the Congo Basin.

Will Nigeria's delegation leverage Lula's momentum to demand delivery on the $100 billion climate finance pledge, or accept another COP of promises without cheques?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/11/11/big-names-missing-as-world-leaders-take-stage-at-cop31/