Limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 C above preindustrial levels was a goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and it has since been a focal point of international climate negotiations. However, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme published in October, the world is already on track to overshoot this threshold. As a result, it is facing unprecedented urgency to take collective action to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
The outcome of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya, Turkiye, will therefore be crucial.
But even as participants from nearly 200 countries and regions convened on Monday for two weeks of talks aimed at agreeing on concrete actions to address the mounting climate challenges, the United States' disengagement is adding new pressure to the global fight against climate change.
The world's largest historical cumulative emitter and one of the highest per-capita emitters, the US is once again absent from the climate event. By absenting itself, the US has ceased to submit national climate targets and participate in key discussions, undermining the implementation of the Paris Agreement and other consensuses.
This withdrawal further widens the funding gap that hampers developing nations' mitigation efforts. When a major emitter stands aloof, developing nations are left questioning the sincerity of developed countries' pledges of financial assistance, thus eroding the foundation of mutual trust that underpins multilateral negotiations.
The value of climate conferences lies in bringing all parties together for consultation and engagement to find common ground that can be translated into actionable plans and concrete projects. With one of the most vital stakeholders walking away from the discussions, it becomes much harder to reach climate agreements that require multi-party coordination. This sends a negative signal that emissions-reduction responsibilities may be selectively evaded, and climate commitments arbitrarily set aside. Such actions are detrimental to building global solidarity in curbing climate change.
The US accounted for more than one-third of the increase in global carbon dioxide emissions in 2025, as higher natural gas prices triggered a major shift back to coal-fired power generation, according to the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2026.
This highlights the weakness of the US approach to climate change, as its reliance on coal undermines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This backslide also sets a bad precedent for other nations, potentially discouraging them from pursuing an aggressive transition to clean energy.
In contrast, China has emerged as a pivotal architect of the global clean-energy transition and a staunch defender of climate multilateralism. It is by far the largest global supplier of renewable energy equipment, including solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and batteries. China's clean-tech exports are projected to help the world avoid 450 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Climate change knows no national boundaries, and addressing the climate emergency is a shared mission for all of humanity. Only by upholding multilateral negotiation platforms, honoring climate commitments and sharing responsibilities can global climate governance advance, offering hope of a sustainable future.
The global shift toward green and low-carbon development is irreversible and imperative. China continues to contribute its wisdom, solutions and support to the collective efforts needed to restrain global warming, and it is calling for detailed discussions on a road map for developed countries to meet the $300 billion annual climate finance goal by 2035 and to triple adaptation finance.
Global climate governance has shifted from negotiating rules to implementing them. China will therefore take an active and constructive role in COP31, working to narrow the trust, cooperation and support deficits.
