What's Up with COP31

As COP31 approaches, this discussion asks whether the UN climate summit can turn ambitious promises into meaningful action. It explores the unusual division of leadership between Turkey and Australia, expectations for the negotiations, and priorities such as clean energy, electrification, climate finance, and resilient cities. The central concern is whether these initiatives will deliver results at the scale the climate emergency demands.

This video was recorded on October 7th, 2026, and published on October 11th, 2026, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.

The conversation examines obstacles to progress, including fossil-fuel influence, difficulties reaching agreement, and weak follow-through on national commitments. It also considers proposals to reform the COP process through smaller, solution-focused meetings, stronger accountability, greater scientific input, and clearer standards for host countries. Despite skepticism about formal negotiations, the discussion highlights the value of international collaboration, public awareness, and sharing the latest climate science.

The program connects climate action with biodiversity protection and regenerative building design, emphasizing the need for solutions that address interconnected environmental challenges. It concludes with three stories exploring the emissions implications of a proposed data centre, research into improving kelp resilience to marine heatwaves, and a survey examining the relationship between technological optimism and scientists’ engagement in climate action.

Links:

• Support Our Mission

• Santa Marta: Fossil Fuel Phase‑Out (CEF Video)

• Himalayan Collapse: Climate Risk Rising (CEF Video)

• Hansen’s El Niño Warning (CEF Video)

• Limiting Overshoot - Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return

• Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’.

• COP31 Action Agenda

• Nationally Determined Contributions

• Rio Convention

• Planetary Health Check

• Nature Positive Buildings, Cities & Infrastructure Pledge

• Planetary Boundaries: Navigating Our Limits (CEF Video)

• Global climate leaders want COP29 to succeed but call for urgent overhaul of the process

• COP 28 Recap (CEF Video)

• United Nations Climate Change Conference

• Slide Canadian Club of Rome.jpg

• AI Data Centers: The New Climate Threat (CEF Video)

• Data centre could create nearly twice the yearly emissions of all Gatwick flights

• Climate stress priming of juvenile Southern California giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) to marine heatwaves

• Techno-optimistic scientists take fewer climate actions, study finds

Regular Panelists:

• Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute.

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University.

• Regina Valdez - MS in Sustainability Management, Climate Reality Leader, GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate.

• Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.

Podcast Production:

• Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: crowander.com

Podcast thumbnail background image:

• Title: Alanya top view on the mountain with turkey flag and city background Beautiful Alanya Turkey landscape travel landmark
• Author: Mehmet Yılmaz
• Source: Source Link
• License: Vecteezy Pro Standard