A Tunisian delegation comprising experts from various fields, national representatives, and young negotiators is participating in the 31st Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Antalya, Turkey. The summit, running from November 9 to 20, focuses on transitioning from pledges to implementation, with Turkey and Australia co-leading the conference. The talks will address mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance.
The Antalya summit poses significant stakes for Tunisia and developing countries, particularly in Africa, which aim to promote climate justice and secure funding for adaptation efforts and technology transfer. Tunisia, highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like drought, water stress, and sea-level rise, requires substantial investments to address these challenges. The country estimates needing around $55 billion in climate-related investments from 2026 to 2035.
Tunisia relies heavily on international financing to cover most of its climate investment needs, with an estimated 74% of funding expected from abroad. The country is pushing for increased access to concessional climate financing, particularly for water security, agriculture, and coastal risk management projects. This is a key priority for Tunisia in the Antalya negotiations.
The summit offers Tunisia an opportunity to defend its climate priorities, highlight its funding needs, and explore new partnerships to support project implementation. The primary goal is to transition from national climate pledges to concrete investments and projects that yield tangible results for the economy, productive sectors, and citizens' living conditions.
In preparation for the summit, Tunisia's National Coordination Unit for Climate Change, under the Environment Ministry, organized a technical workshop from November 2 to 4. The event, supported by the UN Development Programme, brought together around 60 experts and national representatives to enhance the negotiating team's capacity and coordinate the Tunisian delegation's participation.
Discussions at the summit will focus on the nature of climate financing, particularly the share of public and concessional funding versus loans, to ensure that developing countries are not further indebted. The talks will also center on mechanisms for mobilizing climate finance, which is expected to reach $1.3 trillion annually.
A key challenge at the summit is converting the pledge to triple adaptation financing into operational mechanisms that fund projects in areas like water security, sustainable agriculture, and coastal protection. This includes establishing clear indicators to measure progress in adaptation, based on the 59 Belem indicators adopted during the previous conference.
Key points
- Tunisia requires around $55 billion in climate-related investments from 2026 to 2035 to address the impacts of climate change.
- The country relies heavily on international financing, with an estimated 74% of funding expected from abroad.
- A major challenge at the summit is converting the pledge to triple adaptation financing into operational mechanisms that fund climate-related projects.
