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World leaders will meet in Antalya, Turkiye, from November 9 to 20 for the COP31 climate summit. Representatives from more than 190 countries are expected to discuss how to tackle climate change and protect people from its growing impact.
While clean energy options such as solar power, electric vehicles and battery storage are becoming more widely available, many developing countries still cannot afford to use them. The main challenge at COP31 will be to make these solutions affordable and accessible to all countries, especially those that are most affected by climate change.
Here are the key questions world leaders will need to answer at the summit.
Developing countries want wealthier nations to fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement. They need money to deal with climate change and invest in cleaner energy. However, countries continue to disagree over who should provide the funds, how much money should be made available and how developing countries can access it.
So, a key question is who will pay for the fight against climate change?
Fossil fuels remain the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Countries need to move towards cleaner energy sources to reduce pollution and slow global warming. Last year, countries agreed to set up a system to help them shift to cleaner energy, but they are yet to decide how it will work.
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Another major issue is how can countries move away from fossil fuels. In 2026, the world has seen severe floods, dangerous heatwaves and long periods of drought. Scientists have also warned that global temperatures are likely to cross the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set under the Paris Agreement. The situation could become worse as a strong El Nino is expected to increase the effects of climate change.
Although cleaner options such as solar power, electric vehicles and battery storage are becoming more widely available, many countries are still unable to use them. Emerging and developing economies outside China, which are home to nearly two-thirds of the world's population, received only 18% of global clean energy investment in 2025.
Africa is one example. Despite its renewable energy potential, the continent attracts only a small share of global investment, while around 600 million people still lack access to electricity.
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