COP31: Nigeria pushes for climate funding, food security

Nigeria is pushing for increased climate financing and stronger support for food security as world leaders gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference amid growing concerns over extreme weather, threats to agricultural production and inadequate funding for climate adaptation in vulnerable countries.

The conference, which opened on Monday, is expected to focus on translating climate finance pledges into practical support for developing countries, particularly in electricity access, food production, healthcare, water management and climate adaptation.

The conference, co-led by Türkiye and Australia, is expected to focus on turning climate pledges into measurable outcomes, particularly in electricity access, food production, healthcare, water management, and climate adaptation.

Declaring the summit open, COP31 President Murat Kurum said the conference must be an “Implementation COP” where commitments made at previous climate negotiations would produce tangible benefits for communities.

Kurum said the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit remained the global guide for climate action, warning that the climate crisis was worsening existing challenges, including conflicts, economic uncertainty, food insecurity, and unequal access to finance.

“The 1.5°C goal remains our guide,” Kurum said, adding that the world must move beyond promises to deliver practical solutions.

The COP31 president highlighted Türkiye’s proposed “35-by-35” Global Electrification Pledge, which seeks to increase electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035.

He also called for increased climate financing, citing the commitment to provide $300bn annually to developing countries by 2035 and the broader ambition to scale up climate finance to $1.3tn annually.

For Nigeria, where unreliable electricity, climate-related threats to agriculture, and inadequate adaptation funding remain major development concerns, the implementation of these commitments is expected to be a key issue at the negotiations.

President of Negotiations Chris Bowen said international cooperation was necessary to tackle climate change while strengthening global energy security.

Bowen said the summit should produce outcomes that went beyond diplomatic agreements, including investments, infrastructure, jobs, and resilient communities.

“We need cooperation on climate and global energy security,” he said, stressing the importance of finance, electrification, and ocean action.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Stiell, warned that fossil fuel price disruptions and extreme weather events continued to impose high costs on countries and communities.

Stiell said renewable energy had saved an estimated $265bn globally in the first half of the year, arguing that investment in clean energy could strengthen energy security and reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets.

He said climate adaptation should also be treated as an investment, noting that building resilience could deliver economic benefits while protecting vulnerable populations from the effects of climate change.

The first day of the conference focused on food, agriculture, and health, sectors with significant implications for Nigeria, where changing weather patterns, flooding, and drought threaten agricultural production, livelihoods, and public health.

Discussions at the summit highlighted concerns that a possible strong El Niño event could push nearly 50 million additional people into acute hunger, underscoring the growing link between climate change and food insecurity.

The conference also featured the launch of the Antalya Initiative for Resilient Health Systems, aimed at strengthening healthcare systems against climate-related risks.

Other activities included a dialogue involving women farmers, the presentation of a report titled The Unfunded Half, and discussions with young farmers on the future of agri-food systems.

Young participants also presented the Antalya Call to Action for Youth on Agri-food Systems, while the Children and Youth Pavilion hosted activities showcasing climate solutions developed by young people.

The following day’s programme is expected to focus on the Turquoise Nexus Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the links between food systems, water management, and climate adaptation.

The annual United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COPs) serve as the primary multilateral arena for negotiating global emissions targets, climate adaptation funding, and financial transfers from developed industrial nations to developing economies vulnerable to climate shocks.