COP31: African advocates press for climate finance based on need
Campaigners in Antalya are urging negotiators to place climate justice and funding for the continent at the centre of the talks.
Climate campaigners have staged demonstrations on the sidelines of the COP31 United Nations climate conference in Antalya, southern Turkey, calling on world leaders to put Africa's financing needs at the heart of the negotiations.
The Climate Action Network-International Africa (CAN Africa) has demanded that climate finance for the continent be determined by need. Other groups, including the Belém-Antalya Mechanism for a Global Just Transition, are campaigning for a fair transition to greener economies.
The talks opened on Monday, bringing together heads of state, delegates and civil society. Turkey is the official host of the conference, while Australia leads the negotiations, an arrangement reached after the two countries disputed the right to host. Both have faced criticism over their continued reliance on coal.
The conference takes place amid significant disruption to global energy markets. The war in Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, raising the price of fuel and of oil-based products such as fertilisers and pesticides, which weigh heavily on African agriculture. The disruption has prompted a number of governments to reconsider their energy policies and accelerate investment in wind and solar power.
African negotiators have long argued that the continent, which contributes a small share of global emissions, bears a disproportionate share of the costs of climate change and requires predictable, accessible finance for adaptation.