Ahead of the COP31 World Climate Conference, which begins on Monday in Antalya, Turkey, Misereor is looking forward to the upcoming negotiations with hope and clear expectations: the conference has the potential to drive forward the global energy transition. This will require international solidarity, reliable climate finance and the accelerated expansion of renewable energy. However, cuts to international climate and development funding jeopardise further progress and trust between nations.
Madeleine Wörner, climate and energy expert at Misereor, has just completed the Road2COP31 cycle campaign and links the experiences gained during the tour to her expectations for the international energy transition:
“On our Road2COP31 journey across Germany, we saw just how much we can achieve together: especially when facing headwinds, it helps to provide each other with a slipstream. It is precisely this solidarity and joint effort that we also need for the global energy transition – for example, through worldwide access to renewable energy and a broader alliance for phasing out fossil fuels. At the same time, the encounters we had along the way have shown that the shift away from coal, oil and gas has already begun in many places. Now, however, it is crucial to pursue this consistently, to make it a global norm and to provide political support. This transition will only succeed if it is socially just and takes into account the perspectives of people in the Global South.”
Anika Schroeder, Misereor’s expert on international climate policy, warns against cuts to international climate finance in light of the increasing consequences of global warming:
“Development cooperation and humanitarian aid are increasingly becoming a stopgap measure for a climate policy that has been put on the back burner: they are becoming ever more important in cushioning the impacts of increasingly frequent extreme weather events and helping people to adapt better to the consequences of the climate crisis. The current El Niño is making the situation considerably worse. This makes it all the more contradictory that donor countries such as Germany are cutting funding for climate and development cooperation at this very moment. As a result, essential climate protection and adaptation measures in the countries of the Global South are at risk of failing. It also undermines international trust, which, given the current tense geopolitical situation, is a key prerequisite for progress at the COP.”
On COP31:
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) is taking place in Antalya from 9 to 20 November. Turkey is hosting the event and holding the presidency, whilst Australia is leading the negotiations. Representatives from around the world are discussing the further implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Note for editorial teams:
Anika Schroeder and Madeleine Wörner will be on site in Antalya during COP31. Media enquiries regarding interviews and background briefings can be channelled through the press office.
