U.N. climate talks begin today.
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talks → begin → ?
Here are 3 things to know
U.N. climate talks begin today.
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begin → know → ?
Here are 3 things to know
For the next two weeks, country leaders will be in Antalya, Turkey, for the annual United Nations climate conference, called COP31.
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be → know → conference
This year, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will loom over the negotiations.
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war → loom → negotiations
Now in its ninth month, the war has sparked a global energy crisis.
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war → spark → crisis
The unprecedented closure of the Strait of Hormuz and spiking oil and natural gas prices have laid bare the fragility of relying on fossil fuels.
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closure → spike → fuels
But this energy crisis – unlike the energy crisis in the 1970s and the one following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – is different, says Kingsmill Bond, an analyst at the energy think tank Ember.
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Bond → follow → tank
"This is the first time you've really had a global energy shock where you've got really cheap solutions to address it," Bond says.
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Bond → have → it
Those solutions include solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles.
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solutions → include → panels
In recent months, countries around the world have pivoted sharply towards these technologies.
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countries → pivot → technologies
Many of them are produced in China and offer economic security, as well as reduced emissions.
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Many → produce → security
The economic case for climate solution technologies will make it easier for countries to support them at the conference, Bond says.
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Bond → make → conference
"There's much more opportunity, I think, for people to get behind change at COP.
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people → be → COP
Here are three things you need to know about this year's COP.
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you → need → COP
It's all about electrification
Climate technologies like solar, batteries and electric vehicles are also called electrification technologies.
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technologies → call → solar
Bond says that's why some are calling this "the electrification COP."
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some → say → this
"The big target that the COP is setting is for the world to increase the electrification rate from around 23% today to around 35% by 2035," Bond says.
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Bond → set → 2035
These electrification goals assume countries will grow their electricity mix with cleaner renewable energy.
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countries → assume → energy
Energy experts say that is a reasonable assumption, because that's what has been happening in recent years.
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what → say → years
Large solar and wind projects provide more cost-competitive energy than natural gas and coal projects, according to financial services firm Lazard.
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projects → provide → Lazard
"Think about solar, wind," says Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute.
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Shuo → think → Institute
"More green energy will help you decarbonize better and faster.
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you → help → ?
As the COP process enters its 31st year, many countries have argued that the U.N. process has not done enough to tackle the single biggest driver of climate change: burning fossil fuels.
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process → enter → fuels
Fossil fuel producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia have consistently opposed having fossil fuel language in the text of final conference agreements.
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producers → oppose → agreements
In April, more than 50 countries came together to discuss ways to phase out oil, gas, and coal at the First International Conference to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels.
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countries → come → Fuels
Conference organizers told NPR the conference was a way to complement the U.N. process.
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conference → tell → process
More than 25 of those nations are developing a legally binding treaty that would advance a phase-out of fossil fuels.
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that → develop → fuels
Supporters of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative hope more countries will join their cause at COP31.
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countries → hope → COP31
The U.S. is not in the room
The U.S. State Department told NPR in an email that the U.S. will not be sending a delegation to COP31.
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U.S. → tell → COP31
They also did not send anyone to last year's COP in Brazil.
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They → send → Brazil
The Trump administration has reversed action on climate progress, phasing out subsidies for electric vehicles, solar and wind, reducing regulations for greenhouse gases, and halting renewable energy projects.
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administration → reverse → projects
Last year, some countries told NPR they were happy that the Trump administration was not at the climate talks.
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administration → tell → talks
"Generally, it's a good thing they're not here because we have less recalcitrants to deal with," Ralph Regenvanu, minister of climate change of Vanuatu, told NPR then.
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Regenvanu → have → NPR
But some democratic lawmakers will be at COP31, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat representing Rhode Island.
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lawmakers → include → Island
, Whitehouse says he and the other lawmakers plan to keep the focus on fossil fuels and a potential carbon pricing mechanism.
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he → say → fuels
It cannot remain free for the fossil fuel industry to pollute if we want to have any chance of a pathway to climate safety," Whitehouse says.
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Whitehouse → remain → safety
The Aporia
