A hundred and ninety-eight parties attending the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Antalya, Türkiye, including 14 Pacific countries, have been urged to use the ‘spirit of talanoa’ to ensure a successful outcome for the protection of lives and communities around the world.
Following the successful hosting of pre-COP31 by Tuvalu and Fiji, as part of the Australia Pacific COP31 Partnership, COP31 President of Negotiations and Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, said the “same sense of determination,” rooted in dialogue and cooperation, is needed in Türkiye.
“We saw the spirit of talanoa, of dialogue and cooperation, at the Pacific Pre-COP,” said Bowen.
“The message from the world that came out of Fiji and Tuvalu was clear: Keep 1.5 degrees within reach. Speed up our climate action. Make finance easier to access and deliver on our commitments. Strengthen the resilience of our communities, our economies and our ocean. And ensure no country faces climate impacts alone. I know that the same sense of determination is present here in Antalya.”
Bown made the call during the official opening of COP31 on Monday at the Antalya Expo Centre. COP31 is taking place at a time when many key indicators show the world is falling further behind on several climate goals.
According to the Limiting Overshoot Report, by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the planet is on track to officially breach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold within the next few years.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels surged to a new record high in 2025, surpassing 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
Since the 1960s, the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 has tripled, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 ppm per year to 2.4 ppm per year between 2011 to 2020. Concentrations of two other long-lived greenhouse gases linked to human activities, methane and nitrous oxide, also reached new record highs last year.
These greenhouse gases are the primary driver of human-induced climate change.
“The urgency of this moment must drive us forward,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell.
“Global heating is already costing the Earth, appalling tragedy has hit the Himalayas, adding to the ever-expanding catalogue hitting communities across every region.
“A monster El Niño is piling fuel on the climate fire that’s already burning through communities and economies everywhere. The vulnerable everywhere pay the highest price – underscored by the Pre-COP in Fiji, in partnership with Australia and Pacific islands.”
Pacific delegations have made the long trip to Anatalya to advocate for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts. From 9-20 November, Leaders, Ministers, government officials, negotiators and Pacific delegations will engage in crucial discussions in the negotiation rooms and pavilion spaces on tackling the climate crisis with urgency and ambition.
At the official opening, Pacific communities were referenced as people “who have done the least to cause climate change but have the most at stake.”
“Profound injustice threatens our solidarity and collective progress,” Stiell added. “Frustration is palpable. Fairness must be at the heart of a truly global shift to clean energy and resilience. Because it is right.”
For host country Türkiye, three principes guide its work.
They are Dialogue. Consensus. Action.
“We begin by listening to each other. We then build on what we share. And we turn that shared resolve into action on the ground,” said COP31 President, Murat Kurum.
“The world already has knowledge, technology, capital, science and human talent. Our task is to bring them to the people and places that need them.
“Together with Australia, we are ready to ensure the Pacific is heard and to help find solutions to the challenges facing vulnerable countries. We know that delay carries one of the heaviest costs in climate action.”
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), as Chair of the OneCROP, has the mandate as coordinator of Pacific climate change action to lead work on enhancing Pacific engagement at COP31.
In Antalya, SPREP is supporting Pacific countries and partners in highlighting Pacific leadership both in the negotiation halls and pavilion spaces, especially at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion.
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place from 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye.
