COP31 Antalya: Guterres urges drastic emissions cut as fossil fuel talks stay split

Guterres's last climate appeal

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Friday, 13 November, for an "immediate and drastic" cut in greenhouse gas emissions, at the end of the first week of COP31 talks in Antalya, Turkey. The negotiations run until 20 November. He said the 1.5 degree Celsius limit set under the 2015 Paris Agreement stays achievable only if major emitters accept that such cuts are needed now. Guterres, who leaves the post at the end of December after two five-year terms, warned against the "disproportionate influence" of the fossil fuel lobby. Speaking at what was his last climate summit as UN chief, he said he remained hopeful because renewable energy has moved from the margins to the centre of attention.

“The future of our planet cannot be negotiated on the terms of those who profit from its destruction.”

Fossil fuels divide the talks

Negotiations remain split over fossil fuels. Observers cited by Reuters said the large producers and consumers present in Antalya resist any agreement that sets firm new targets or a move away from oil, gas and coal. Saudi Arabia and Russia have traditionally opposed wording that restricts fossil fuels, while India has opposed measures it says would limit its development and energy options. The United States skipped the talks for a second consecutive year under Donald Trump, who has described global warming as a hoax. A UN report published last month found that the world is on course to exceed the 1.5 degree warming threshold.

In his farewell remarks, Guterres put it bluntly.

“Fossil fuels cause the climate crisis, and there is no credible path to climate security without abandoning them.”

Electric cars and oil savings

A study released on Friday by the transport and environment group T&E found that battery electric vehicles displace 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, five times the 215,000 barrels displaced at the time of COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. The group said the savings could reach 5.8 million barrels per day by 2034. Battery electric cars make up 4.2% of the global car fleet but 25% of all new car sales worldwide, a 6.6% increase compared with five years ago. Trucks remain far behind at 1%, although electric trucks exceed 50% of new truck sales in some countries. According to the group, the 1.2 million barrels equal 1.2% of global oil consumption, and electric vehicles avoid more than 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

2021 (COP26)215,000

2026 (COP31)1,200,000

2021 (COP26)

215000 barrels per day

2026 (COP31)

1200000 barrels per day

Data from the article text

The electricity era

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said the world has entered an era in which electricity is becoming the main source of energy, while oil and gas continue to be used. In an exclusive interview with the Guardian during the summit, he said the world added about 5,000 gigawatts of electricity capacity over the past decade and, conservatively, expects about 12,000 gigawatts over the next ten years. The agency said that, excluding China, electric car sales grew 60% over the past nine months. Data centres for artificial intelligence and rising air conditioning use are also driving power demand as heatwaves become more intense and frequent. Representatives of 185 countries are meeting in Antalya, where a draft resolution proposes that 35% of final energy consumption worldwide comes from electricity by 2035. Electricity currently meets about a quarter of energy demand.

Past decade5,000

Next decade (forecast)12,000

Past decade

5000 GW

Next decade (forecast)

12000 GW

Data from the article text

Finance, buildings and cities

On Wednesday, 11 November, more than 100 national leaders gathered at the COP31 Leaders' Summit, where the Antalya Pact for Energy-Efficient Buildings was approved. The pact is linked to a presidency goal of cutting the operational energy intensity of the global building stock by 25% by 2035. UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said the window to transform the construction sector is narrowing and that action must speed up. The UK, Norway and Canada launched a $10 billion climate finance initiative through British International Investment, Norfund and FinDev Canada, which signed a memorandum of understanding, and the target includes private capital. The business forum brought together more than 600 chief executives from almost 300 organisations to mobilise private investment. On Friday, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica presented the T-MED platform, which aims to mobilise up to €25 billion by 2035 with EU guarantees of up to €4.5 billion.