African negotiators secure three finance and trade priorities on the COP31 agenda in Antalya as Ghana pushes for accessible adaptation funding.

Published 9 Nov 2026, 21:04 GMT

3 min read

AGN Chair Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah on screen at the COP31 opening plenary in Antalya — COP31 opening plenary, Antalya

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African climate negotiators have secured three finance and trade priorities on the formal agenda of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which opened in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday under a strengthening Super El Niño.

The two-week summit at the Antalya Expo Centre brings together nearly 200 nations under a split presidency, with Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum as COP31 President and Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen presiding over negotiations as talks opened on Monday.

The conference began alongside a World Meteorological Organization report forecasting 2026 among the four warmest years on record, as an intense El Niño releases ocean heat expected to keep temperatures elevated into 2027 and bring hotter, drier conditions across West Africa.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell urged governments to move from pledges to delivery, telling delegates: "No single COP is a silver bullet. No single conference can bridge the chasm between the science and reality."

Speaking for the continent at the opening plenary in alignment with the Group of 77 and China, African Group of Negotiators (AGN) Chair Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah said developing nations cannot deliver their climate plans without promised funding.

"Africa comes to Antalya with one clear message: implementation depends on means of implementation," Dr Amoah said. "African countries have put forward ambitious NDCs and adaptation plans, but most of that ambition depends on finance that has not yet arrived."

After overnight talks among delegation heads, parties agreed to put three additional items proposed by the African bloc on the agenda:

Track progress towards tripling adaptation finance.
Assess the funding needs of the Green Climate Fund before its third replenishment.
Examine the effects of unilateral carbon border and trade measures on developing economies under Article 3.5 of the UN convention.

Negotiators from the G77 and China noted that the Global Environment Facility’s ninth replenishment fell 27 per cent from its previous cycle to a 16-year low, while several developed nations halved their signed 2024–2027 Green Climate Fund contributions and loss and damage requests exceed available funds more than eightfold.

Dr Amoah also cautioned against funding clean energy through high-interest loans, saying: "The transition cannot be called 'just' if low-and middle-income countries must mortgage their futures in the process."

Guided by its Black Star Position Document unveiled by Environmental Protection Authority Chief Executive Officer Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Ghana's delegation is pressing for predictable grant and concessional financing for climate-resilient agriculture, coastal protection, water management and early warning systems.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

COP31 opens in Antalya under Super El Niño threat as Africa presses climate finance demands

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