United Nations Climate Change Conference

G20 leaders gather for a second day of their Rome summit on Oct. 31, with all eyes on whether they can deliver a meaningful commitment on climate change ahead of crucial U.N. talks.

The Group of 20 major economies emit nearly 80 percent of carbon emissions, and a promise of action would provide a much-needed boost to COP26 climate talks starting in Glasgow on Oct. 31.

Ljubljana – Looking at the start of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), Dnevnik expresses reservations in Saturday’s commentary about the probability of success.

G20 leaders gathering in Rome for their first meeting since the start of the pandemic face a global recovery hampered by a number of obstacles: an energy crisis driving higher fuel and utility prices, new outbreaks of Covid-19 and blocked supply chains.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will head to Italy and the U.K. to attend the G20 Leaders and COP26 climate summits, Turkey's Communications Directorate said ob Oct. 28.

Top crude exporter Saudi Arabia will aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, its de facto ruler said on Oct. 23, days before the COP26 global climate summit.

The kingdom, one of the world's biggest polluters, said it would also join a global effort to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša will lead a sizeable Slovenian delegation to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, to be held between 31 October and 12 November. The roadmap posted on the government website estimates the cost at EUR 1.2 million, most of which is to be spent on an EU pavilion.

As head of the organisation that advises countries on energy policy, Fatih Birol has a blunt message to governments ahead of a crucial climate summit: He wants "real global action", not just words.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed on Oct. 7 Turkey's ratification of the 2015 Paris climate accord, saying Ankara should rapidly present its national plan to combat climate change. 

"I expect Turkey to present as soon as possible a national #ClimateAction plan in line with its commitment to get to net zero emissions by 2053," Guterres said on Twitter.

Luxembourg – The EU environment ministers adopted on Wednesday a joint EU position for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, which includes an agreement on a five-year time frame. “For the first time in many years the European delegation is going to the climate conference with a clear position on time frames,” Slovenia’s Andrej Vizjak said.

More than five billion people could have difficulty accessing water in 2050, the UN warned on Tuesday, urging leaders to take the initiative at the COP26 summit.

As early as 2018, 3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water for at least a month a year, according to a new report by the UN World Meteorological Organization.