ANTALYA, Turkey, Nov 13 - Big fossil fuel producers and consumers at the COP31 climate talks are resisting any deal that would specify firm new targets or a shift away from oil, gas and coal, observers said on Friday as the first week of talks drew to a close.
That poses a challenge for summit host Turkey and lead negotiator Australia, which has another week to land the kind of ambitious agreement climate advocates say is needed to address the worsening impacts of global warming.
"Positions are still quite entrenched in terms of where they are, but that's pretty normal at this stage," said Cosima Cassel, an observer to the talks from environmental group E3G.
Major oil producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia have traditionally resisted language constraining fossil fuels, while large developing economies such as India have opposed measures they say could limit their development and energy choices, a dynamic that has compromised the outcomes of past deals.
The world’s biggest oil consumer, the United States, meanwhile, has skipped the talks for the second year in a row under President Donald Trump, who has called global warming a hoax and promoted continued use of fossil fuels.
The stance is at odds with the increasing severity of global warming, scientists and campaigners say.
