By Janet Ekstract, ANTALYA – In the run up to the 31st U.N. Climate Change Conference to be hosted by Turkiye in Antalya – negotiators, nations and civil society groups are finalizing preparations, as the event is just four days away. The conference which opens on November 9 at the ANFAS Antalya Expo Center is in its final stages of logistics and security arrangements. Delegations, climate scientists, observers and corporate representatives are starting to arrive to build on previous ministerial pre-COP meetings held in October. Presiding over the conference is Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum who will be leading the Action Agenda while Australia will preside over formal climate negotiations led by Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.
Three major discussion points include Climate Finance and Adaptation with developing nations and advocacy groups pushing for solid financial commitments on adaptation and loss-and-damage funds with the caveat that previous promises nations made regarding financial commitments remain underfunded. Militarism and Conflicts examines the debate about how rising global military costs starkly affect climate targets and resources. Civil society analysts highlighted that COP31 lacks a dedicated Peace Day. Fossil Fuel Transitions sees pressure on Turkiye and Australia as the co-hosts, with regard to domestic fuel policies, clean energy rollouts and corporate sponsorships at the summit. The high-level World Leaders’ Summit takes place on November 11-12 which is the highlight of the conference which ends on November 20. After those two days, there will be a multitude of climate panels on various issues affecting diverse nations with an opportunity for those participating to come up with innovative solutions.
Following the leaders’ summit, there will be post-summit negotiation and thematic tracks that include a focus on: Emission Targets & Implementation to discuss delivering and strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and moving toward goals like the 35% global electrification target by 2035. Climate Finance will include focusing on operationalizing and directing public and private finance flows, including follow-ups on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) set at COP29. Adaptation and Resilience includes building resilience against extreme heat, drought, water stress, and coastal loss with dedicated forums such as the Mediterranean Pavilion and Pacific/CARICOM partner pavilions. The Second Global Stocktake features launching the formal Paris Agreement process to assess collective progress. For additional information including live updates, the UNFCCC COP31 Portal is the site to check out as well as local event coordination announcements.
