A new song gives Cop31 Eurovision vibes – but how should we score progress so far?

The UN’s annual climate summit is known for being arcane, long-winded and frustrating. On Wednesday, however, Turkey brought a dash of Eurovision-style glamour to proceedings.

The hosts of the talks, held in the historic Mediterranean city of Antalya, decided to blast assorted world leaders, dignitaries and other delegates with Let’s Cop, a bona fide floor-filler that includes the lines: “Bring down the heat, make it drop. One world, one call, let’s Cop.”

This banger followed a lengthy display of whirling, high-octane dancing by performers in traditional Turkish clothing, and a period of interpretive performance featuring a woman dressed as some sort of shrub and a troupe entangled in a costume formed of plastic waste. But it was Let’s Cop that was the most intriguing.

I’ll tell you why, after today’s climate headlines.

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• Bird flu has caused catastrophic die-offs – could a wave of extinctions follow?

In focus

On hearing Let’s Cop, the immediate, uncharitable, question about this banger was, is this AI? My intrepid colleague Graham Readfearn secured the following answer from the Turkish hosts: “The song’s melody and lyrics were written by a professional musician, while AI tools were used in the composition and production process.”

Whatever that cryptic explanation means, the shades of Eurovision introduced by Let’s Cop were a welcome fillip for a climate conference that has been bedevilled by troubled logistics and a distinct lack of progress – or even direction – on the central priorities of ending the fossil-fuel era and adequately supporting the countries most vulnerable to climate disasters.

There is still a long way to go in Cop31, which is slated to finish next Friday. But so far, to extend the metaphor: what would the Eurovision-style scores be?

Well, Turkey and Australia jointly oversee this Cop and yet each are significant consumers of fossil fuels and are actively increasing their polluting activities even as the climate conference is under way? Nul points.

Countries are cutting their emissions far too slowly to avoid disastrous climate breakdown and yet talk of ending fossil fuels is still considered a bit too risque? Nul points.

What is likely to go down as the strongest recorded El Niño event is barrelling down on countries, leaving millions facing hunger, flooding, drought and displacement, and yet climate finance to shield poorer, exposed nations is still badly lacking? Nul points.

The gathering of the world’s leaders on Wednesday was a little sparse, lacking the likes of Donald Trump, who recently claimed solar panels fry animals to death and that wind turbines are a “major loser”, as well as France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz (who will instead attend an AI conference in Ireland). Cinq points for creativity.

Activists here in Antalya hope that countries will soon be singing a different tune – otherwise Let’s Cop may instead ring hollow.

Read more from Cop31:

Developing countries in limbo as rich nations delay new climate finance plans
UN chief urges Cop31 hosts Turkey and Australia to turn fossil fuel promises into action
US and rest of world must follow China’s lead on green energy, says John Kerry