By Samuel Akpan
Climate talks opened in turmoil on Monday as developing nations demanded more money, while UN chief Antonio Guterres told leaders to get serious after a year of deadly weather extremes.
Thousands of delegates filled Antalya’s expo centre in Turkey for the UN’s two-week summit, following Europe’s heatwaves, Indonesia’s wildfires and Nepal’s floods, all intensified by a powerful El Nino.
Guterres declared the world has entered a new age of climate extremes and pressed for faster emission cuts, a just shift from fossil fuels, and the finance and protection vulnerable countries require.
The opening ceremony ran 90 minutes late without explanation after negotiators argued late Sunday over whether climate finance items should appear on the official agenda.
Greenpeace’s Jasper Inventor called it a difficult start, noting that wealthy nations historically responsible for most emissions have provided support, yet poorer countries insist the amounts remain far too small.
Developed countries took a hard line on including a COP30 Brazil platform to discuss funding flows, while African states pushed to triple adaptation finance for sea walls and drought-resistant crops.
A source said tripling will not get its own agenda slot but will be discussed under other items, and a senior EU official warned last week of no political will for fresh pledges.
Turkey is presiding with Australia leading negotiations under an unusual host-sharing deal that ended a bidding fight but raised doubts about coordination, as the two ministers clasped hands in applause.
The EU’s call for clean electrification may clash with Turkey’s stance on oil, gas and coal, after countries agreed at COP28 to move away from fossil fuels yet failed at COP30 to even mention them.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva arrives late Monday after his re-election, which activists called a climate win, while climate-sceptic US President Trump sends no officials, though a congressional delegation with buoyant Democrats will attend.
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