Amir's Representative Attends Leaders' Summit at COP31

The representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, attended the Leaders’ Summit for the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which opened its proceedings yesterday in the city of Antalya, Republic of Turkey. The summit was attended by His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Wednesday for the adoption of a “new climate justice charter” and for mobilizing the necessary funding to address climate change. In a speech delivered during his participation in COP31, he stressed the need for all countries to fulfill their commitments in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, which takes into account the differing responsibilities and capacities of countries in confronting climate change.

He explained that the proposed charter rests on four pillars: accelerating a just transition away from fossil fuels; protecting the most vulnerable populations; ensuring adequate financing; and prioritizing cooperation over geopolitical divisions.

He added that meeting the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2035 compared to 2025 levels. He noted that achieving this target also requires reducing coal-based electricity generation without carbon capture technologies by at least 75 percent.

Guterres called on developed countries to provide climate financing of at least $300 billion annually by 2035, warning that climate disasters are “devastating lives, livelihoods, and economies” worldwide. He stated that the current climate trajectory constitutes “a path toward certain mutual destruction.”