Ireland to help lead EU negotiations at COP31

Updated / Monday, 9 Nov 2026 00:21

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Ireland will help lead the European Union's negotiating efforts at the COP31 climate summit, which opens in Turkey today amid pressure on governments to turn years of climate promises into practical action.

Representatives of almost 200 countries are gathering in Antalya for talks on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, financing climate action and protecting communities from the growing impacts of global warming.

Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union and will coordinate the bloc’s negotiating efforts alongside the European Commission.

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien has said the EU needs to approach developing countries with greater understanding and a willingness to listen, following difficult divisions at last year’s summit in Brazil.

Speaking ahead of the conference, he said a central priority must be delivering commitments already made, particularly the financial assistance promised to vulnerable countries.

Many have struggled to obtain the funding needed to protect their populations, despite international agreements to increase support.

Mr O’Brien said Ireland wants to help rebuild trust and ensure that commitments result in investment and action.

However, Irish environmental and development organisations say progress will also depend on the amount of funding provided and the conditions attached to it.

ActionAid Ireland Chief Executive Karol Balfe, who chairs Stop Climate Chaos, has called for grants-based public finance rather than loans which increase poorer countries’ debts.

She argues that countries which contributed relatively little to climate change should not have to borrow more money to cope with its consequences.

She also wants greater support for communities suffering losses and damage that cannot be prevented.

Another central issue will be the world’s continuing dependence on coal, oil and gas.

Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who will lead the negotiations, is seeking practical progress on electrification.

That means replacing more direct fossil fuel use in transport, heating and industry with electricity.

The summit presidency is promoting a voluntary pledge to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.

That is separate from the formal negotiations, where agreement must be reached among participating countries.

The EU supports faster clean electrification alongside delivery of the commitment to transition away from fossil fuels.

Mr Bowen has declined to pre-empt whether explicit fossil-fuel language will appear in the final agreement, highlighting the difficulty of securing consensus.

The talks come as the United Nations Environment Programme warns that current policies put the world on course for around 2.8 degrees of warming this century.

Although warming is expected to exceed 1.5 degrees, scientists stress that limiting every additional fraction of a degree can reduce future harm.

The conference is scheduled to continue until 20 November.

Its outcome will be judged on whether governments can agree measures that accelerate emissions reductions and deliver accessible support to the countries facing the greatest risks.