UN climate chief urges swift action as COP31 reaches midpoint

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell on Saturday urged negotiators to "move swiftly to the hardest issues and to avoid tactical delays," as the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) reached its halfway mark.



"Getting agreement on every word, every sentence, is tough but vital work. There is no collective success without compromise from every Party," Stiell said at a press briefing in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya, where the two-week event will run through Nov. 20.



He said practical climate initiatives at COP31 are gaining momentum, seeking to bridge international agreements and the real economy through clean energy, resilient infrastructure, greener industry and disaster resilience.



Winning the global climate fight also requires reaching billions of people in their everyday lives through areas such as sports, entertainment, and culture, he added.