As consultations on a potential cover decision for COP31 continue on Friday, the presidencies put out a “summary of reflections” on views expressed so far.
It is basically a menu of elements a text could contain, with the COP31 presidency stressing “it is not intended to reflect consensus, nor the strength or prevalence of views expressed”.
As we reported yesterday, some large emerging economies are even arguing there shouldn’t be a cover decision, feeling it’s something that has been thrust upon them and led more by the Turkish and Australian presidencies than by countries.
Nearly everything remains in the informal note for now – from responding to an overshoot of 1.5C warming to welcoming the roadmaps on transitioning away from fossil fuels and tackling deforestation, and increasing electrification to 35% of final energy consumption by 2035.
Also grabbing the attention of delegates on Friday was news about where future COPs will take place. Hopes that the world’s top-emitter might host COP33 in 2028 – a key year when the next review of global climate progress will be concluded – appear to have been dashed. The Guardian reported on Friday morning that China has ruled itself out of the running.
Climate Home News understands that the information comes from the ministerial level, although the reasons for the decision have not been explained. The US presidential election will happen close to the beginning of the COP that year, although any change in government – following the Republicans’ drubbing in the midterms – would not take effect until the start of 2029.
The host country for that year must come from the Asia-Pacific region, and other candidates are said to include Uzbekistan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand. In April, a South Korean official told Climate Home News the national government has not formally expressed an interest in hosting COP33 and questioned whether it would have the capacity to do so as it is running the G20 in 2028.
At climate talks in Bonn in June, the Indonesian government asked about the timeline for the selection of the COP33 host and Indonesian ministers are understood to have discussed whether to host the talks. A decision on the issue is not due in Antalya, so more speculation is likely.
Friday is Finance and Trade Day at COP31, so we’ll be reporting on related discussions. In the meantime, don’t miss this exclusive comment piece from eight ministers arguing that as governments turn to trade-related measures to deliver on their climate targets, cooperation is vital to reduce fragmentation and costs, and build more resilient economies.
Presidency publishes countries’ wishlist for cover decision
After a first round of consultations on the COP31 cover decision, in which some large emerging economies questioned whether it should exist at all, the presidency has published its summary of the views countries expressed.
The document is essentially a lengthy wishlist of the pet ideas governments would like to see in the final text. Many are unlikely to make it past the next hurdle. The presidency itself stresses that the note does not reflect consensus, nor how widely each view is held.
At the heart of the text are calls for a response to the overshoot of the 1.5C warming limit, which the UN now says is unavoidable, at least temporarily. Concepts in the summary include limiting the magnitude and duration of the overshoot, keeping the peak as low as possible, returning to 1.5C as soon as possible, and understanding the scientific implications of surpassing the threshold.
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Speaking on Friday morning, Diana Acconcia, director for international affairs at the European Commission, said the bloc supports the COP31 presidencies’ proposal to acknowledge and address the overshoot in the cover decision.
But Climate Home News understands that during the initial consultations some countries, including Saudi Arabia, tried to cast doubt on the science behind the landmark UNEP report acknowledging that overshoot is inevitable and charting pathways to come back down.
They reportedly argued that, as it is not peer-reviewed, it should not be used as a basis for discussions. The summary does include an ask for the cover decision to exclude “grey literature”, the term some governments have used for the report in discussions.
Widely trailed proposals include the “35 by 35” electrification target championed by the Turkish and Australian presidencies, which would aim to raise electricity’s share of final energy demand from around 20% today to 35% by 2035. Also on the list are a follow-up to last year’s goal of tripling adaptation finance, including a baseline and milestones to track it, and an emphasis on the importance of forests and oceans.
Other ideas are likely to prove much more controversial. A call to tackle methane, a highly potent but short-lived pollutant, is favoured by the EU and UK, among others. It specifically mentions venting, flaring and “near-zero intensity”, and might face resistance from fossil fuel producing countries.
The same is true of a request to “welcome” the fossil fuel transition roadmap released by the COP30 presidency. The roadmap calls on governments to prepare national transition plans by 2028, with the replacement of fossil fuels targeted only from 2031–2033. Arab countries have already drawn a line in the sand: in its opening statement the group opposed references to the COP30 presidency’s roadmaps and the Action Agenda in any decision.
A call to “accelerate” carbon capture and storage and carbon removal technologies, framed as necessary to bring temperatures back down after the overshoot, is favoured by fossil fuel producers and especially Gulf states. It will probably face stiff opposition from countries that see these technologies as a distraction.
A proposal for developed countries to take the lead by reaching net zero earlier than developing nations, and then going “net negative”, is also set to sow divisions. Wealthy nations are expected to resist new differentiated obligations.
Trade is another flashpoint. The summary includes a call for a time-bound phase-out of “unilateral climate trade measures”, a thinly veiled reference to the EU’s new carbon border levy. A proposed agenda item on trade was dropped at the start of the summit, so supporters see the cover decision as the next-best home for it.
Another round of consultations is taking place at lunchtime on Friday. Countries will then be invited to submit written views until Saturday, after which the presidency is expected to produce a first draft of the text.
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COP31 Bulletin Day 5: Cover decision wishlist issued as China bows out of COP33
The authors are eight trade ministers and members of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate. The full list of signatories is below the piece.
As governments and stakeholders gather for COP31 in Antalya, the case for making trade work harder for global climate action has never been stronger.
COP31’s focus on moving from commitments to implementation — including by advancing green industrialisation and strengthening resilience — is one we strongly share.
If we are to translate climate ambition into real-economy transformation, international trade must be part of the solution. Done well, trade can help us decarbonise while boosting competitiveness, driving investment and innovation, and building more resilient and diversified economies.
We are acutely aware that no country can achieve its net zero or adaptation goals alone. Nor can we build competitive and resilient economies without sustainable investment and stronger international cooperation.
As COP31 puts existing climate commitments into action, as trade ministers we can make a difference.
The case for working together
First, we can strengthen international cooperation on trade-related climate measures. As governments are increasingly exploring options to use such measures to achieve their net-zero commitments, cooperation is vital to reduce regulatory fragmentation and costs, and address concerns around competitiveness and fairness.
As trade ministers, we can propose and advance practical solutions in the WTO and other international processes to enhance transparency, coherence and interoperability, while integrating the development dimension.
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Second, to keep the Paris temperature goals within reach, we must intensify our cooperative efforts so that trade makes a significant contribution to decarbonisation. We see a great potential for innovative trade partnerships focused on sectoral priorities. From clean power and green hydrogen to sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient food systems, we can turn climate commitments into action.
Trade cooperation can accelerate the development, diffusion and uptake of technologies, goods and services that support climate mitigation and adaptation. This will also help mobilise investment, strengthen and diversify supply chains, and create new opportunities for businesses and workers.
Third, we need to break down the silos between trade, climate, industrial policy and finance. As trade ministers, we have a responsibility to strengthen coordination at home and ensure a whole of government approach on these closely connected policy priorities.
Reaching net zero goals will require faster, scaled up efforts to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, in favour of low- carbon, clean technologies, goods and services. It also means creating the conditions for businesses to invest, innovate and compete in the growing markets for such technologies.
Open, predictable and fair trade can help countries and communities adapt to recurring climate disasters and slow-onset climate change while building greater economic and climate resilience.
Geopolitics cannot be an excuse for inaction
This is a difficult juncture for global trade. Geopolitical uncertainty, growing fragmentation and concerns about economic security are reshaping the environment in which our businesses trade and invest. But this should not be an excuse for inaction. We need pragmatic cooperation on trade and climate that addresses today’s challenges while building longer-term solutions.
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COP31 outcome needs to prioritise transition away from fossil fuels
Many countries are already working on parts of their transition, such as phasing out coal or ending fossil fuel subsidies, with more expected to follow soon
As proud members of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate, we see first-hand the value of bringing trade ministers together to advance practical and inclusive cooperation on trade and climate.
It is a unique venue for much-needed high-level political dialogue on how trade and trade policies can support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, while advancing sustainable development. The coalition’s strength lies in its diversity, bringing together economies from all regions and at different levels of development, climate vulnerabilities, and trade circumstances.
Over the year ahead, we will continue to work with our counterparts in the coalition and trade ministers around the world interested in engagement on the nexus of trade, climate and sustainable development.
Our task is to show that climate ambition, open and fair trade, and competitiveness can reinforce one another. Our message is clear: let us work together to ensure that trade contributes meaningfully to more competitive and resilient economies, climate action, and shared prosperity.
Christopher P. Sinckler, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Barbados
Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, European Union
Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof, Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, The Gambia
Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iceland
Han-Koo Yeo, Minister for Trade, Republic of Korea
Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations, Singapore
Lord Sarwar, Minister for Trade, United Kingdom
The post We must strengthen trade cooperation to deliver on global climate goals appeared first on Climate Home News.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/11/13/we-must-strengthen-trade-cooperation-to-deliver-on-global-climate-goals/
Australia’s much-anticipated session to help Pacific nations lift off a new regional fund went by without a single new cent pledged, despite it being a key moment to achieve its target of $500 million promised by the end of the year.
In only a year since its adoption, the island states have operationalised the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) – a regional fund that disburses small grants directly to local communities. The fund has approved 14 projects so far, including on water security, coastal restoration, renewable energy and community resilience.
The fund was launched in May seeking to enhance the region’s access to international finance, as large climate funds tend to have red tape which is hard for small governments, like those in the Pacific, to overcome. Palau’s president Surangel Whipps Jr said at the event that the PRF “bridges the gap in global finance”.
Yet at the pledging session – where developed countries were expected to ramp up their pledges to close the gap on the $500-million target – none of the participating countries announced new money. The Minderoo Foundation announced $5 million.
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The Netherlands ($1m), the UK (£10m or $13m), Canada (CAD$7.5m or US$5m) and Ireland (€5.6m or $6.2m) all announced pledges they had already publicly announced before, leaving the total amount in the PRF pot at over $200 million – a gap of about $300m in this year’s target.
Fiji’s minister of Foreign Affairs Sakiasi Ditoka told Climate Home News after the event that he is still hopeful that developed countries will announce new funds by the end of COP31, either by getting commitments from new nations or ramping up commitments from existing donors.
“I believe that we have pulled on some heartstrings and that maybe helps them make their decision, maybe increasing their contributions if they’ve already given,” he said. “Even if not, we will press on ahead.”
The largest donors to the fund are Australia (US$67m) and Saudi Arabia (US$50m). Speaking at the event, Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “the PRF matters because it connects global finance with local action” and urged other nations to join.
Other developing countries have pledged to the fund, including Taiwan ($3m) and China ($1m). Some Pacific islands have pledged funds themselves, including Fiji ($10m) and Solomon Islands ($1m).
“We are putting our own skin in the game. We are investing in our own future,” said Whipps Jr during the pledging session.
The post Pacific leaves empty handed from COP31 “pledging event” for new fund appeared first on Climate Home News.
Pacific leaves empty handed from COP31 “pledging event” for new fund