WHEN COP31 opens in Antalya today, governments will have to show that years of climate negotiations have produced more than ambitious targets and promises of financial help. Geopolitical tensions, an energy crisis, and strained finances in rich countries have dampened hopes of a breakthrough. The absence of an official US delegation after Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has worsened matters. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is advancing faster than efforts to contain it. A new UN report warns that even if countries fulfil existing climate pledges, global temperatures could rise by 2.6°C this century. For Pakistan, already exposed to floods, extreme heat, and erratic rainfall, the question is what it can realistically........

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