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TWN Antalya
Climate News Update No. 6 UN SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE COMPACT Antalya, 12 Nov (Jinghann Hong) - “We need a new Climate Justice Compact based on shared responsibility, shared security and shared benefits,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, at the opening ceremony of the Antalya Leaders’ Summit at COP 31, on 11 Nov, held under the theme “Towards a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.” The UNSG also added that “the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) must apply – and all countries must do their part.” Guterres referred to the context of the science and overshoot of the 1.5°C threshold, the growing share of renewable energy, and the need to phase out fossil fuels, and outlined the four pillars upon which the proposed Climate Justice Compact is built. The opening ceremony featured remarks from several world leaders, which followed a series of very spirited cultural performances by Turkish dancers. The formal opening of the Summit was attended by Heads of State and Government, as well as heads and representatives of various UN organizations and agencies, intergovernmental organizations and observer constituencies. The UN SG who was the first to address the Summit, said that the first pillar of the Climate Justice Compact is a just transition away from fossil fuels, stressing that every government must begin with credible national roadmaps, including no new coal, oil and gas infrastructure, reduce methane emissions, expand renewable energy deployment, and protect natural carbon sinks. The second pillar focuses on protecting people. Describing adaptation as “a matter of survival”, Guterres called for “new generation of national adaptation plans with the international community supporting developing countries”. He also emphasized the need for swift and accessible support for loss and damage when adaptation reaches its limits. The third pillar centers on climate finance. Contrasting the US$95 billion in profits earned by the world's nine largest oil companies in the last quarter alone with the approximately US$600 million pledged to the Loss and Damage Fund, Guterres urged governments to apply the polluter-pays principle by taxing windfall profits generated by fossil fuel companies. With regards to climate finance, he outlined a number of targets and priority actions: · Developed countries must lead in delivering at least US$300 billion annually by 2035, with concrete plans and milestones to at least triple adaptation finance by that year; · The US$1.3 trillion climate finance goal must translate into real financial flows for developing countries, requiring contributions from all sources of finance; · Multilateral development banks must go beyond the Baku commitment to mobilise US$120 billion annually by 2030; · Shareholders should empower these institutions to expand lending capacity, mobilize greater private investment, assume more risk, and deploy innovative financial instruments to better meet the needs and circumstances of vulnerable developing countries; · Donors must ensure ambitious and meaningful replenishments of both the Green Climate Fund and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage; · Private sector investment must play a stronger role in supporting the transition in developing countries; · South-South cooperation increasingly helps to expand access to technology and finance, and; · Those who have profited most from fossil fuels should contribute to addressing the damage caused by climate change. The fourth pillar being international cooperation, Guterres stressed that countries must choose cooperation over fragmentation, warning that “a world divided by trade barriers, technology monopolies and geopolitical rivalry means a transition that costs more, takes longer, and leaves billions behind.” While acknowledging that governments may not agree on every issue, he emphasized the need for collaboration on challenges that no country can address alone. He further underscored the importance of strengthening the climate process itself, noting that “negotiations matter but success must be measured on the ground.” Though scheduled to step down as the Secretary-General 31 December of this year, Guterres promised that “I will not stop telling the truth [about the climate crisis], and I will not stop fighting for it,” to a round of loud applause. The UN SG’s address was followed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose country is serving as COP 31 President of Negotiations. Albanese highlighted Australia’s partnership with Türkiye in leading the climate negotiations and underlined the importance of addressing the concerns of Pacific Island countries, which face some of the most severe climate impacts. He pointed to progress since the Paris Agreement (PA), noting that projected warming has fallen from around 4°C to 2.6°C. While warning that the world is on track to overshoot the 1.5°C goal, he stressed that every fraction of a degree matters and underscored the need for urgent action during this critical decade. On Australia’s domestic renewable energy expansion, he shared that his country has doubled the renewable share in 6 years and that it now counts for 50% of the energy mix; and that it had the largest rooftop solar and battery storage uptake in the world. Underlining that governments have the responsibility to back people up with “the right policies and right incentives for investment”, he said that “we must share opportunities that climate action creates” while ensuring that the most vulnerable who need capital get it. He also highlighted the country’s support for the Pacific Resilience Facility, the first Pacific-led regional climate financing mechanism as “a promise to our Pacific family that they will not face the climate crisis alone”. Albanese called for COP 31 to deliver “practical results”, including unlocking investment in clean energy technology, accelerating electrification, speeding up action for oceans, and unlocking climate finance for those who need it most. He concluded with a call to turn climate ambition into implementation and commitment into action, to ensure that “no one is left behind” in the transition. Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia spoke next, and introduced the philosophy of “medemer” which guides the Ethiopian response to climate change, “bringing people, resources and solutions around common purpose.” (Ethiopia will host COP 32 in 2027). Referring to domestic efforts which include tree-planting, restoring degraded land and expanding forests, he stressed that such a philosophy teaches how to “honour the land we inherit, to live in harmony with nature and to care for what we leave for our children.” Other efforts mentioned include taking a long view with energy supply and using data to help communities prepare for extreme weather through AI forecasting and digital identification. Emphasizing the role of finance as “warning (systems) are only effective if people have the means”, Ali said, adding further that “dependable finance requires cooperation, even as cooperation between countries grows weaker”. Regretting that climate, development, trade and finance are discussed in different spaces, he reiterated that many countries see those topics in all rooms. Observing that developing countries pay nearly US$1 trillion in interest on public debt and that Seville Financing for Development Conference recognised that high borrowing costs limit countries' capacity to invest in resilience, he asked “how we will finance a future we have agreed to build?”, pointing out that lowering the high borrowing costs is “a test of collective credibility”. Stating that COP 32 will “put early action at centre”, Ali concluded by highlighting that work should begin with every pledge of finance answering “how much, by when, on what terms,” so that it is clear enough for various stakeholders to act. He also said that he looked forward to welcoming all to COP 32 in the “land of oranges”. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, emerging fresh from victory at his country’s polls just two weeks earlier, said that he left COP 30 in Belém invigorated and Antalya can ensure this momentum does not stop. He underlined the disappearance of climate change global leadership in the G7 and G20 fora, where the biggest greenhouse gas emitters are discussing more on weapons and tariffs, and where the energy transition is being perceived as a hurdle to security and prosperity of nations. He cautioned that the planet cannot be “at the mercy of hegemonic struggles”, not when floods, droughts and rising sea level are already affecting families and communities. He underscored that all nations take part on equal footing in this forum [of COP] where elsewhere, “privilege of veto and power of money tip the scales.” As such, “to sabotage the climate regime is to destroy what multilateralism is at its best.” Acknowledging the lack of consensus, he offered that in times of polarization, diplomacy needs to open windows where doors close, as such a lack, cannot be a hurdle for advancement. He conveyed five messages: first, that three Belém roadmaps [Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels; Roadmap for Halting and Reversing Deforestation; Baku to Belém Roadmap to USD1.3 trillion] will help fulfil important tasks and that he was counting on Australia to ensure that the recommendations in these documents are disseminated and incorporated into next Global Stocktake; second, that the Tropical Forests Forever Facility demonstrated that innovative solutions are possible where there is political will; third, reinforcing the urgency of increasing emissions reduction targets, stating that Brazil is proof it is possible to ensure that the economy grows while mitigating global warming, having avoided more than 560 million tonnes of carbon emissions between 2022 and 2024; fourth, on forests that Brazil leads by example as “the guardian of the biggest rainforest in the world”, where reduction of deforestation in the Amazon region has reached 71% between 2022 and 2026; and fifth, the relevance of international cooperation for protecting Amazon forest, citing the resumption of operations of the Amazon Fund in 2023. Lula underscored that the climate crisis is “an injustice of class, gender, race and between countries” and said that it does not make any sense to abandon the principle of CBDR. He also said that the next COP on African soil represents a “historic opportunity” for resources for a continent that is struggling under debt levels. President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the final speaker, saying that Türkiye was proud to host COP 31 in partnership with Australia, highlighting Antalya's historical role as a crossroad of cultures and civilizations. Drawing on Türkiye's cultural and religious traditions, he stressed the importance of environmental stewardship, describing the earth as a “sacred asset” which must be protected and cared for. Erdoğan outlined Türkiye's efforts to advance its 2053 net-zero emissions target through investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation and green development across key sectors of the economy. He noted that renewable sources now account for more than 60% of the country's installed electricity capacity and highlighted initiatives including the recently enacted climate law, a national water-efficiency campaign, annual afforestation efforts, and the global zero waste initiative spearheaded by Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan. On the global response to climate change, Erdoğan called for “fair policy” that takes into account energy security and different development needs of developing countries. Emphasizing that access to climate finance, technology and capacity-building must be made easier, particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), he emphasized that developed countries who have historically used up global carbon budget, must assume greater responsibility for emissions reduction and climate finance, and that the developing countries’ right to development must be safeguarded. Addressing the broader international context, Erdoğan said Gaza represented the "starkest example" of how nature is paying a heavy price for conflict. Describing the situation as not only one of "genocide" but also of "ecocide", he lamented the destruction of centuries-old olive trees, the pollution of land and water, and the devastation of cities, that is also compounded by torrential rain and flooding. He stated candidly that, “no one who sees, knows of, or witnesses such shameful pictures of humanity can escape responsibility.” Stating that “a show of power at the expense of children suffering in Gaza is an act of weakness and above all a lack of conscience”, and he urged all present to “give voice to the shared conscience of humanity”, to a round of very loud applause.
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