Environment
The world has greater financial and technological resources than ever before to tackle climate change, yet millions of people are unable to benefit from them.
The world has greater financial and technological resources than ever before to tackle climate change, yet millions of people are unable to benefit from them. The upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) must not only find solutions to existing challenges but also ensure that these solutions are accessible to all countries and people. Devastating floods, deadly heatwaves and prolonged droughts have been among the most prominent climate-related realities this year. Scientists have also confirmed that the world is heading towards a rise in global temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. The effects of climate change could become even more severe in the presence of a powerful El Niño. Against this backdrop, representatives from more than 190 countries will gather in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20 for COP31, the United Nations' annual global climate conference.
Although the use of fossil fuels, including oil, gas and coal, remains the primary cause of global warming, the technologies needed to move away from them are advancing at an extraordinary pace. Solar energy, electric vehicles and battery storage systems are becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. Despite these developments, many countries are still unable to benefit from them.
What is the reason?
Ahead of COP31, UN News spoke with Selwin Hart, the United Nations Special Adviser on Climate Action and a Just Transition to Environmentally Friendly Energy, about what is at stake at the conference, the obstacles standing in the way of progress, and what another round of climate diplomacy could achieve.
COP stands for the Conference of the Parties. The parties are the countries that are members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At these annual conferences, governments from around the world review progress made in addressing climate change and negotiate measures that require collective global efforts rather than action by individual countries. These negotiations led to the historic Paris Agreement in 2015, under which member countries pledged to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. COP meetings are no longer limited to government negotiations. Businesses, scientists, representatives of local and Indigenous communities, young people and civil society organizations also participate actively, reflecting the scale and seriousness of the challenge. Selwin Hart says there is now clear recognition that everyone must play a role in addressing the climate crisis.
The success of such conferences is generally judged by the agreement reached at the end of the proceedings. Sometimes, reaching an agreement requires several days of difficult negotiations, followed by last-minute compromises. However, Selwin Hart says that focusing solely on the final agreement does not present the complete picture. He believes these conferences can make a positive difference in three ways.
Member countries seek to reach consensus on issues such as providing climate finance, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. However, geographical and political differences often stand in the way of more effective decisions.
Governments, development banks, businesses and civil society organisations work together to identify practical solutions. These include promoting renewable energy, modernising electricity transmission networks and reducing methane emissions.
Member countries also use these conferences to announce new initiatives at the national level. These may include new climate projects, commitments to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and financial support for climate-related objectives. Selwin Hart says there is sometimes an expectation that COP will produce a major historic agreement capable of resolving the climate crisis.
But that is not realistic.
Türkiye will host and preside over this year's conference, while Australia will lead the negotiations in cooperation with Pacific island countries. The conference will place particular emphasis on practical action rather than merely making pledges. Türkiye has identified several priority areas, including clean energy, food security, climate-resilient cities, green industries, ocean protection and waste reduction. Selwin Hart says he is personally advocating for the conference agenda to be renamed the "Implementation Agenda". His aim is to emphasize that the time for making promises has passed and the focus must now shift to implementing them.
Behind diplomatic language and negotiations are decisions that can affect the lives of millions of people. Several major issues related to tackling climate change remain unresolved and are expected to be at the center of discussions at the upcoming conference.
Developing countries want wealthy nations to fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement. However, disagreements remain over who should be responsible for providing the funds, how countries can access them and how resources within the global financial system can be redirected towards climate action.
Last year, member countries agreed to establish a mechanism to support the transition towards clean and environmentally friendly economies. However, its operating framework and practical implementation have yet to be determined.
At COP31, negotiators will continue working on ways to assess progress in adapting to climate change, while developing countries will demand additional financial support for these efforts.
Governments remain divided over how to make efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more effective and ensure that existing commitments are fulfilled. The second phase of the Global Stocktake will also begin during COP31. This is a formal process under the Paris Agreement through which the international community assesses overall progress towards achieving the agreement's long-term goals.
Scientists are warning that the world could temporarily exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit. However, how far global temperatures rise above this threshold and how long they remain there will depend on decisions made today by governments, businesses and societies. According to Selwin Hart, a temporary overshoot of the temperature limit does not mean that the battle has been lost. Instead, it should serve as a reminder that much more urgent and serious action is needed. The good news is that the world is now far better equipped than ever before to address this challenge.
The situation surrounding the transition to clean and renewable energy was very different a decade ago. Since then, technological progress has accelerated at an extraordinary pace. Ten years ago, electric vehicles accounted for less than one per cent of new car sales worldwide. By 2025, their share had risen to one-quarter, and electric vehicles are expected to account for 28 per cent of new car sales this year. Last year, global solar power generation capacity increased by more than 600 gigawatts. This accounted for more than three-quarters of the total increase in renewable energy capacity recorded worldwide during the year. The world's battery-based electricity storage capacity has now increased eleven fold compared with 2021. An additional 108 gigawatts of storage capacity was installed in this sector last year alone.
Investment in clean energy has increased rapidly, but its benefits have not reached all countries and populations equally. Emerging and developing economies, excluding China, are home to nearly two-thirds of the world's population. Yet, in 2025, these countries received only 18 per cent of global investment in clean energy. According to Selwin Hart, the cost of securing financing is one of the biggest obstacles to investment. In developing countries, obtaining capital for renewable energy projects can be several times more expensive than in wealthy nations, even though the technology used in both is identical. Climate financing mechanisms are needed that do not further increase the debt burdens of member countries. COP31 cannot resolve the climate crisis in just two weeks, but it can certainly help remove the barriers that prevent existing solutions from reaching the people who need them most.
