Ireland to coordinate EU negotiations at COP31 as climate finance takes focus
As COP31 opens in Antalya, Ireland will lead the EU’s negotiating effort alongside the European Commission, with its climate minister stressing trust and delivery of promised finance.
Ireland will coordinate the European Union’s negotiating effort alongside the European Commission as COP31 opens in Antalya, Turkey, on 9 November, according to rte.ie. The summit brings together representatives of almost 200 countries for talks on emissions, climate finance and protection from climate impacts.
The role comes as governments face disagreements over how to fund climate action and whether commitments to move away from fossil fuels will translate into formal agreements.
- Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU and will coordinate the bloc’s negotiations with the European Commission.
- Minister Darragh O’Brien says rebuilding trust and delivering promised assistance to vulnerable countries are priorities.
- A voluntary summit pledge would raise electricity’s share of global energy use to 35% by 2035, but it is separate from formal negotiations.
Ireland’s priorities for climate finance
Climate, Energy and the Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien said the EU should approach developing countries with greater understanding and a willingness to listen, after difficult divisions at last year’s summit in Brazil. He described delivery of existing commitments, especially promised financial assistance to vulnerable countries, as a central priority. Ireland wants to rebuild trust and increase investment and climate action, he said.
Karol Balfe, chief executive of ActionAid Ireland and chair of Stop Climate Chaos, called for public finance in grants rather than loans that add to poorer countries’ debt. She also urged more support for communities facing losses and damage that cannot be prevented.
Electrification and the fossil-fuel dispute
Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will lead the negotiations and is seeking practical progress on electrification: replacing direct fossil-fuel use in transport, heating and industry with electricity. The summit presidency is promoting a voluntary pledge to make electricity 35% of global final energy consumption by 2035. That initiative is separate from the formal talks, where participating countries must agree on outcomes.
Reuters reports that climate advocates object that the pledge does not require the additional electricity to come from low-carbon sources. Some countries, including vulnerable South Pacific island nations, are pressing for a clearer global roadmap away from fossil fuels. Oil- and gas-producing countries including Saudi Arabia argue that fossil fuels can remain part of a climate-friendly energy mix if technologies reduce or capture emissions.
The EU supports faster clean electrification alongside delivery of the commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. Bowen declined to predict whether the final agreement will include explicit fossil-fuel language, pointing to the difficulty of reaching consensus.
What it means
The negotiations will test whether countries can turn existing climate-finance commitments and the transition away from fossil fuels into agreed action. Reuters describes a difficult backdrop: energy-security concerns linked to war, rising electricity demand from AI and the United States’ second year of disengagement from climate cooperation. Turkey will also ask governments, businesses and other institutions to sign principles for sustainable AI development and deployment.
The conference is scheduled to continue until 20 November. Its final decisions are not yet known.
Read in depth: World
Trump says deportation policy may have been too tough
In a Nov. 8 interview, Donald Trump acknowledged political costs from deportations as Stephen Miller, an architect of the policy, became chief of staff.
Herzog gives Gadi Eisenkot first chance to form Israel government
The Oct. 27 election left both major blocs short of a majority. Eisenkot has 28 days to assemble support, with a possible two-week extension.
What this story rests on
2 sources from 2 organisations: 1 news agency, 1 broadcaster.
- 1Ireland to help lead EU negotiations at COP31RTÉ News · rte.ieBroadcaster
- 2COP31 to open in Turkey, with climate goals under pressure from war and AIReuters, republished by Al-Monitor · al-monitor.comNews agency
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
Researched and drafted with AI tools from these sources, then checked against them paragraph by paragraph before publication. How we work · Everyone we cite · Report an error