Fossil fuel emissions fall slightly as COP31 climate talks enter second day in Turkey

Research published on 10 November 2026 showed carbon emissions from fossil fuels, meaning coal, oil and gas, falling slightly, according to The Guardian's live coverage of the UN climate conference, COP31, which that day was in its second day in Turkey.

COP is short for Conference of the Parties, the annual UN climate summit at which governments meet to discuss action on global warming. COP31 is taking place in Antalya, Turkey. About 100,000 delegates attended the conference venue there on 9 November, and leaders from more than 90 countries were due to arrive on 11 November. The heads of the United States and China were noted among the leaders not attending.

The theme for 10 November was energy and transport. It was linked to a goal of greatly increasing the share of energy used through electricity, a shift that would mean more cars, heating and industry running on power rather than fuels burned directly.

The Global Carbon Project, a research body, brings together knowledge on greenhouse gases from human activity and the Earth system. Its projects include global budgets for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and its science highlights list Carbon Budget 2025.

The talks continue in Antalya, with the leaders' arrival due later in the week.