COP31 Opened Without Washington. Good. America Owes the Climate Bureaucracy Nothing.

The U.N. climate summit kicked off in Antalya with a fight over money and an opening ceremony that started 90 minutes late. The Trump White House sent no one — and about 20 Democratic lawmakers flew in on philanthropic money to tell the world America has been "an extremely unreliable partner."

By Clara Hughes

The United Nations' annual climate summit opened Monday in Antalya, Türkiye — and the first thing delegates did was fight over money. Negotiators were locked in talks late Sunday over demands by developing nations to put climate finance on the official agenda, AFP reported. The opening ceremony began an hour and a half late, without explanation. "This has already been a difficult start for COP31," said the head of Greenpeace's delegation. The United States was not at the table. And that is exactly right. Keep reading with Altas Premium. Below: what the White House