New Delhi: The climate crisis continues to knock on the door as world leaders, climate negotiators, and scientists gather in Antalya, Turkiye, on Monday for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31). From record-breaking heat and erratic rainfall to devastating floods and growing pressure on food and water supplies, the consequences are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Running from November 9 to 20, the summit comes at a particularly critical moment. September 2026 was the world's second-hottest September on record, with global temperatures reaching 1.63 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, following an August that also crossed the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark. While two unusually warm months do not mean the Paris Agreement's long-term temperature limit has been formally breached, they illustrate how close the world is moving toward dangerous levels of warming. Adding to that was a United Nations Environment Programme report sharing the grim finding that the world is set to shoot past the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold if current efforts are not scaled up at a quick pace.
For India, the climate warning is loud, clear, and visible in its weather patterns. The country experienced extreme weather events on 331 out of 334 days between January and November 2025, according to data from the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth, with heatwaves, floods, thunderstorms, and storms affecting communities nationwide. Instead of stopping, these warning signs continued well into 2026.
India's southwest monsoon ended with a rainfall deficit of around 13 percent, while a strengthening El Nino in the Pacific is raising concerns about future rainfall, heat, and agricultural stress. Pacific sea surface temperatures also touched 30 degrees Celsius in October, an unprecedented reading in available records.
India is heading to Antalya with climate finance, technology transfer, and adaptation among its key priorities. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has stated that the country will push for predictable, largely public, and affordable climate finance from developed nations, alongside greater support for developing countries. India also wants climate commitments to respect national circumstances rather than impose uniform targets on countries with vastly different resources and development needs. Protecting farmers, strengthening coastal resilience, and ensuring affordable energy during the transition to cleaner sources will also feature prominently in its approach.
COP31 will build on discussions from COP30 in Brazil, where countries agreed to increase adaptation finance but failed to secure a roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels. For India and other developing nations, the question remains about how quickly emissions can be reduced, alongside a firm demand for a fair climate finance framework to protect communities already facing climate damage. As the summit begins, its biggest test will be whether countries can bridge that divide and turn years of climate commitments into concrete action on the ground.