Climateupdated 24m ago3 min read
MapCOP31 Midpoint Plenary in Antalya Pressed on Climate Justice, Finance and Adaptation Targets
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Protests demand climate justice and end to fossil fuels at COP31 Antalya midpoint. UN says negotiations are progressing in a constructive atmosphere but complex, warns against delays.
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Antalya, COP31 midpoint
COP31 negotiators in Antalya faced a Saturday night midway stocktaking plenary presided over by Türkiye and Australia, with countries’ first red lines expected to emerge. UN climate chief Simon Stiell told a press conference that progress so far has been “constructive” and urged governments to “move swiftly to the hardest issues and to avoid tactical delays,” as ministers flying in would take up the most controversial issues. Campaigners marched through rainy streets in Antalya on Saturday, chanting “no more blah blah blah - climate justice now!” and calling on governments at COP31 to deliver on their promises.
The Antalya talks were set to decide whether to move forward with a cover decision as the main outcome, while some large developing countries pushed back on it and on inclusion of sectoral targets, including a pledge to increase electrification to 35% by 2035. A separate draft text on the global goal on adaptation set to become the main battleground for Africa’s top priority proposed tripling adaptation finance to “at least $120 billion per year by 2035,” with another option to start a process to review elements of that finance target.
Finance, polluters, and debt
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that even tripling adaptation funding would still not cover even a third of the needs of the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Guterres said, “Even if we triple adaptation funding, we would still meet less than 30 percent of the actual needs,” and he added, “You cannot build peace on a burning planet.” Guterres disclosed a morning meeting with heads of international climate funds and urged them to move beyond bureaucratic hurdles that make it exceptionally difficult for countries with limited resources to access aid.
The UN Framework Convention executive secretary Simon Stiel warned that “Many developing countries find themselves trapped in a debt, disaster, and high capital costs spiral,” and he said climate finance must help them get out of it. The UN News report said developed countries are expected to lead efforts to mobilize at least $300 billion annually for developing countries by 2035, while an assessment presented at COP 31 indicated annual climate finance could fall short of the larger goal by as much as $840 billion.
Protests and the right to protest
Civil society organizations called for a demonstration in downtown Antalya on Saturday to demand an end to fossil fuel projects and a faster transition to renewable energy, with organizers saying authorities granted a permit for the demonstration scheduled to start at 1:00 PM local time. Luisa Neubauer, the movement’s spokesperson in Germany, said, “They have created a climate hell we do not accept,” and she added, “We refuse to age in a heat hell where temperatures rise by 2.8 degrees Celsius.” The People’s Summit for Climate was scheduled to take place in Antalya over the weekend, and Suheila Dogan said the event would provide a platform for local groups and experts who struggle to have their voices heard at the UN conference.
Greenpeace Spain and Portugal’s delegate Sara Pizzinato told Europa Press that “They serve as a compass or want to serve as a compass for the direction of the negotiations that occur later in COP rooms.” Cristina Alonso, head of Climate Justice at Friends of the Earth, denounced that Turkey, as host of COP31, “hinders the right to protest through bureaucratic obstacles, restrictions, and detentions,” while she said mobilizations are “indispensable” to pressure governments.