The 31st Conference of the Parties, or COP31, is set to take place in the Turkish city of Antalya on November 9. This year's gathering comes as countries face mounting climate damage and growing pressure to accelerate the shift away from planet-heating fossil fuels. The marathon negotiations are being hosted by Turkey but steered by Australia in an unprecedented arrangement. Both nations had bid to stage the world's premier climate gathering.
The formal talks are light on big-ticket items, with voluntary climate pledges taking centre stage. The hosts are pushing "electrification" as one path to reducing emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. This approach involves replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly with electric alternatives. The goal is to make progress on reducing heat-trapping emissions and decreasing reliance on costly fossil fuel imports.
A key issue that will shape discussions at COP31 is the ongoing crisis in global energy markets. This year has seen a devastating series of climate disasters, including severe floods in Nepal linked to climate change. These events have revived longstanding calls for historic polluters to provide more financial assistance to help poorer nations shift to renewable energy, adapt to climate impacts, and recover from disaster.
One of the main areas of focus at COP31 will be efforts to increase the share of final energy demand met by electricity. Turkey and Australia want countries to commit to a voluntary target of raising this share from about 20 percent today to 35 percent by 2035. However, around one-third of the world's electricity is still produced using coal, raising questions about the credibility of this target.
Apart from the centrepiece electrification goal, Turkey is spearheading a range of voluntary initiatives on themes including artificial intelligence, methane and waste reduction, and climate-resilient cities. These non-binding pledges will be part of a separate "action agenda" that runs parallel to the formal COP talks. This approach allows for more flexibility and cooperation among nations.
The amount of financial assistance provided by wealthy countries will be scrutinised again in Antalya. Turkey has pitched itself as a bridge between developed and developing countries, and incoming COP31 President Murat Kurum said closing the climate finance "chasm" would be a key priority. The issue of climate finance has been a recurring sore spot at previous COPs.
Looking ahead, countries will undertake a "global stocktake" of progress on climate action at COP33 in 2028. This crucial conference will assess where the world has fallen short in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. However, COP33 does not yet have a host, with India having withdrawn its candidacy. China is reportedly considering a bid, which could have significant implications for the global climate agenda.
Key points
- The COP31 conference will focus on voluntary climate pledges, particularly in the area of "electrification".
- The issue of climate finance will be a major topic of discussion at COP31.
- The conference will also look ahead to COP33, where countries will undertake a "global stocktake" of progress on climate action.
