The key facts

  • Sadiq Khan at COP31 in Antalya urged faster climate action: 'delay is not an option'
  • As C40 co-chair he pledged that cities in the network, home to nearly 1 billion people, will have early warning systems by the end of 2027
  • Khan met Brazilian president Lula and accepted a UN-Habitat award for record affordable housing construction in London

Speech in Antalya

London mayor Sadiq Khan spoke on Wednesday at the leaders summit of the UN climate conference COP31, taking place in Antalya, Turkey. 'We must go further and faster to tackle the climate crisis. The time to act is now, delay is not an option,' he said in posts on the social network X. According to him, this year has once again demonstrated the devastating consequences of climate change, including the extreme heat experienced by London.

Early warning systems commitment

At the event convened by the UN Secretary-General, Khan stressed the importance of early warning systems for saving lives and spoke about London's efforts to improve heat warnings and air quality. As co-chair of the C40 network of cities fighting climate change, he committed to ensuring that by the end of 2027 early warning systems are in place in all member cities of the network, whose combined population is nearly 1 billion people.

Meetings and award

On the sidelines of the summit, Khan met with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and called his re-election 'a huge victory for progressive politics around the world' and a defeat for those who continue to deny the catastrophic consequences of climate change. In addition, the mayor accepted the UN-Habitat Honour Scroll award — recognition of London's efforts to build a record number of affordable homes. 'As someone who grew up in council housing, I understand what a difference quality social housing can make,' Khan said, adding that he intends to ensure that every resident of the city has 'a safe, secure and affordable place to call home'.

COP31 context

The COP31 conference is being chaired by Turkey for the first time: it opened in Antalya on Monday and will run until 20 November, bringing together 196 parties and the EU. The leaders summit, hosted on Wednesday and Thursday by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gathers more than 100 heads of state and government representing 95 countries across six continents, as well as seven international organizations.