UN Climate Talks Begin in Turkey       11/11 06:09

   World leaders began formal discussions at the United Nations climate change 
conference in Turkey on Wednesday, hoping to agree on concrete actions to curb 
global warming after a year of deadly floods, heat waves and other 
climate-related disasters.

   ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) -- World leaders began formal discussions at the United 
Nations climate change conference in Turkey on Wednesday, hoping to agree on 
concrete actions to curb global warming after a year of deadly floods, heat 
waves and other climate-related disasters.

   But many heads of the world's biggest polluting nations, including the 
United States, China and India, skipped the leaders' summit at the Conference 
of the Parties, called COP31, leaving a handful of nations and United Nations 
officials to urge action on climate change as a new report warns the gap 
between countries' promises and real emissions cuts is widening.

   Speeches prompt the world to act now 

   U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres urged the world to act in an opening 
speech at the leaders' summit following a colorful performance inspired by 
traditional folk dances from Turkey.

   "We know the truth. Now we must act on it," he said. "Because climate action 
is more than a fight over a number or a thermometer. We are in the fight for 
our lives and our children's future."

   Guterres outlined four principles to be used in climate negotiations: 
ditching reliance on fossil fuels, adapting society for a warmer world, 
generating more financial assistance from rich nations to countries coping with 
climate change and nations working together instead of fighting.

   He called the framework "a new Climate Justice Compact based on shared 
responsibility, shared security and shared benefits."

   "We do not need countries to agree on everything. But we do need them to 
cooperate on the things no country can solve alone," Guterres said.

   Heads of several big polluting countries missing 

   Over 70 global leaders and senior government representatives are speaking at 
the leaders' summit, but the heads of top climate polluters China, the U.S. and 
India are not scheduled to be present.

   "It really is a disgrace that just one of the seven G7 heads of state and 
only a handful of G20 leaders are attending this summit," said Mohamed Adow, 
director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa. "The world's 
biggest economies should be leading the response to the climate crisis, not 
leaving it to others."

   While European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was present, many 
other European heads of state were notably absent from the summit.

   "More than half of the top leaders of the EU countries are not showing up at 
the leaders' summit," Climate Action Network Europe Director Chiara Martinelli 
told The Associated Press. "If Europe wants to help steer the global 
transition, it needs to show up and be part of it."

   What can and will be accomplished at COP31 remains to be seen. Past talks 
have been criticized for making promises that later fell flat.

   While delegates at the 2023 conference in Dubai agreed to transition away 
from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas -- the leading contributor to 
climate change -- subsequent conferences in Azerbaijan and Brazil ended with 
little agreement on reductions. Last year's Brazil conference produced a 
compromise agreement pledging additional money to help vulnerable nations adapt 
to climate change.

   Conference colored by fears over speed of climate action 

   This year's conference officially kicked off Monday with Turkey hosting and 
Australia leading negotiations at a time of fears that the world is not moving 
quickly enough.

   An annual climate change performance index published Wednesday by climate 
think tank Germanwatch and the New Climate Institute found the gap between 
nations' climate plans and action on the ground is growing wider.

   "Overall, current collective efforts are not enough to prevent catastrophic 
climate change. But we see clear potential for improvement," Jan Burck of 
Germanwatch said.

   Turkey and Australia, which are presiding over the climate talks this year, 
were ranked among the worst performers on reducing planet-heating emissions.

   Scientists say global warming is likely to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 
degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels of the early 1800s. Limiting 
temperature rise to that threshold was a goal set during the 2015 Paris 
Agreement and has been a focus of international negotiations.

   The talks also come as the war in Iran has increased global prices of 
gasoline, oil and products made with them, such as fertilizers and pesticides. 
That has pushed governments to rethink energy policies and investment in 
renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

   "We don't need more promises, we need plans," said John Kerry, former U.S. 
secretary of state and former presidential climate envoy, though the U.S. 
itself, the world's second-largest polluter after China, is noticeably absent 
for the second year in a row.

   U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has 
targeted offshore wind projects and removed rules limiting power plant 
emissions.