COP31's final week: can Antalya's marchers shift stalled climate talks?

Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Antalya on Nov 14, accusing the COP31 climate summit of failing the people most exposed to environmental destruction. It was the largest demonstration since the talks began on Nov 9 in the Turkish coastal city, and it unfolded under rainy skies and close police supervision, with marchers in costumes shouting slogans.

The timing was deliberate. The march coincided with the opening of a parallel "People's Climate Summit" involving hundreds of civil society organizations from Turkey and abroad, and with a Global Day of Action for Climate Justice. Organizers said the demonstration had been authorized and was scheduled to begin at 1 pm local time.

Turkish authorities frequently ban large gatherings, particularly protests critical of the government. The march marked a rare moment of large-scale public protest in the country — a fact that may matter more than the crowd size, which organizers described only as thousands.

Negotiators from nearly 200 nations entered the final week of talks scrambling to strike a deal by Nov 20, and the summit is not expected to produce a major breakthrough. Activists have demanded tougher curbs on fossil fuels and fresh pledges to help poorer countries adapt.

UNFCCC executive secretary Simon Stiell urged parties to "move swiftly to the hardest issues and to avoid tactical delays," adding that "there is no collective success without compromise from every party." His appeal was directed at governments, not protesters.

The gap between the summit's stated goals and its pace of agreement was visible elsewhere in Antalya. Oxfam reported that at least 93 private jets landed in the host city since COP31 began, emitting fuel equivalent to flying around the world three times.

Whether the march shifts any negotiating position is not yet known.

The final deal is due by Nov 20. Whether it includes the fossil fuel curbs and adaptation pledges activists demanded will be the measure of whether the street pressure mattered.