The road map to combat the climate crisis will be determined

The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held in Antalya on 9-20 November, will bring together government representatives, business world, scientists and non-governmental organizations.

The AA correspondent compiled the issues that will be discussed at the negotiation table during the summit and the targets and initiatives that will come to the fore within the scope of the Action Agenda.

Australia will chair the negotiations at the summit, where Türkiye, in addition to hosting, also assumes the COP31 Presidency.

Negotiations between the parties are expected to focus on climate finance, just transition, adaptation and emission reduction.

Climate finance, needed in line with the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial period, will be one of the priority topics of the COP31 negotiations, as in previous COP summits.

While developing countries demand that developed countries fulfill their climate finance obligations under the Paris Agreement, disagreements continue on sharing financing responsibilities, access to resources and directing global financial flows towards climate action.

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WANT CLARITY ON ADAPTATION FINANCE

At COP30, countries agreed on the creation of a just transition mechanism that aims to protect the rights of workers and vulnerable communities in the transition to clean economies. However, the implementation principles of the mechanism have not yet been clarified. It is expected that negotiations on the functioning of the mechanism will continue at COP31 under the title of just transition.

Efforts to measure the progress made in the field of adaptation to climate change will continue during the negotiations. Developing countries are expected to demand more financing in the field of adaptation and to clarify details regarding the base year, financing amount and implementation method of the target of at least tripling adaptation financing by 2035, agreed at COP30.

Emission reduction, which is critical for limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, will also be one of the important topics of the negotiations. Countries have not yet reached agreement on how to strengthen efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement existing climate commitments.

COP31 will also begin the preparation process for the Second Global Stocktake, the official process that evaluates global progress towards the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.

Türkiye DEFINES COP31 AS "IMPLEMENTATION COP"

Murat Kurum, COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, defined COP31 as "Implementation COP" and said that they want to carry out a process that turns words into projects, scientific knowledge into technology, and commitments into concrete results on the field.

The Action Agenda, which was introduced by the institution on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 21 and includes 10 priority areas and 6 global implementation targets, will determine the direction of the meetings, panels and other events to be held during the summit.

The 10 priority areas were announced as Zero Waste and Methane Reduction, Clean Energy Conversion and Electrification, Food Security, Green Industrialization, Oceans and Seas, Climate Resilient Cities, Youth and Education, Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems, Rio Synergy and Climate Implementation Bridge.

The first of the 6 goals of the Action Agenda was announced as increasing the share of electricity in final energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, the second goal is to reduce the projected increase in municipal waste production by at least 50 percent by 2035, the third goal is to reduce the energy use intensity in the building sector by at least 25 percent by 2035, and the fourth goal is to reduce the rate of circular material use in the manufacturing and production sectors to at least 15 percent by 2035. The fifth goal was to expand climate change education and climate-resistant agricultural practices to all segments of society and include climate change in the education curriculum by 2030. The sixth goal was to expand the Climate Implementation Bridge mechanism until 2035, accelerate the implementation of countries' National Contribution Declarations (NDC) and create investable project portfolios.

EVENTS WILL BE SHAPED AROUND 10 THEMES

Within the scope of COP31, 10 different themes were determined for the theme days between 9-20 November. Summit events will be organized in line with these themes.

The theme of the first day of the summit, which will start on November 9, will be "Food, Agriculture and Health". Under the food heading, it is aimed to strengthen the connection between food, water and climate and to create climate-resistant agriculture and food systems with integrated policies. With the theme of dynamic and resilient health systems, the focus will be on strengthening health systems against climate risks.

On November 10, within the scope of the "Energy and Transport" theme, the global electrification commitment included in the Action Agenda, also called "35 by 35", will be announced. In this context, it is aimed to accelerate the transition to electricity in sectors such as transportation, buildings, industry and agriculture, and to increase the electrification rate, which is currently at 23-24 percent, to 35 percent in 2035.

The Zero Waste theme, which was determined as the first priority area of ​​the Action Agenda, will be discussed on November 11, and the first day of the COP31 Leaders Summit will begin on the same date. Two initiatives supporting the Zero Waste approach will be introduced at the leadership level. These initiatives were announced as the Circularity Knowledge Sharing Network Initiative, which aims to increase international knowledge and experience sharing and strengthen cooperation in the field of circular economy, and the Global High-Level Dialogue Initiative on Methane Emissions from Waste, which aims to improve international cooperation to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector.

The second and last day of the Leaders' Summit will be held on November 12 and the theme will be "Resilient Cities and Built Environment". Topics such as climate-resilient infrastructure, buildings and urban planning will be discussed, and the goal of reducing energy use intensity in buildings by at least 25 percent will be brought to the agenda.

While the theme of the events on November 13 is determined as "Finance and Trade", the Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE) will be on the agenda. The mechanism aims to close the gap between targets and implementation by transforming countries' climate and development priorities into financing-ready project portfolios.

Events will be held on November 14 under the theme of Children, Youth, Education and Skills. Studies specifically aimed at increasing young people's participation in climate action and climate literacy will be on the agenda.

BREAK ON DAY 7, FINAL NEGOTIATION AGENDA ON THE LAST DAY

On November 15, COP31 meetings will take a break, and social and cultural programs will be organized under the name "A Breath in Antalya".

The theme of "Science, Industry and Technology" will be discussed on November 16. Under this heading, the Green Industrialization Facilitation Mechanism, developed by Türkiye and which will meet the industrialization needs of the least developed countries with technology, technical expertise and financing, will also be on the agenda.

Events will be held on November 17 with the theme "Ocean, Seas, Nature and Land Use (Rio Synergy)". Pacific island countries, which demand a strong result that includes an implementation plan for the oceans, especially the rising sea levels due to global warming, are expected to voice their demands more strongly.

On November 18, under the title of "Human and Social Development", employment and livelihoods affected by the climate crisis, vulnerable groups and just transition issues will be brought to the agenda.

On November 19, emphasis will be placed on the events to be held within the scope of the theme "Imece: Strengthening the Application". The events, which will focus on collaborations to accelerate implementation, are also expected to evaluate the progress made in the initiatives and commitments within the scope of the Action Agenda.

The last day of COP31, 20 November, will be devoted to final negotiations. The final text, which will be created through the final negotiations between the parties, will serve as a road map for the next year in the fight against the climate crisis.