UN Climate Chief Urges Nations to Fulfill Finance Pledges at COP31

At COP31, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged nations to meet existing financial commitments to turn plans into action. He emphasized accelerating adaptation finance and promoting electrification to combat rising energy costs and climate change.

UN Climate Chief Urges Nations to Fulfill Finance Pledges at COP31

As climate finance emerges as a major sticking point in negotiations at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Türkiye, UN climate chief Simon Stiell has stressed the need for countries to deliver on their existing financial commitments, saying this is key to translating climate plans into investments and tangible action on the ground.

In an interview with ANI, Stiell, who is overseeing the international climate negotiations at COP31, called for efforts to accelerate the tripling of adaptation finance by 2035 even as the African Group of Negotiators' (AGN) proposal to include tripling adaptation finance as a standalone agenda item at COP31 failed to secure consensus among parties.

Asked about the proposal failing to make it to the COP31 agenda, Stiell says, “The agenda of each COP is a matter for all countries in this process to determine, under the guidance of the COP presidency each year.”

“More broadly, full delivery on existing finance pledges is key to turning climate plans into investment and real-world results. Advancing actions under the Baku to Belém Roadmap is essential to scale up finance to USD 1.3T a year by 2035. And efforts to triple adaptation finance by 2035 must accelerate, with finance reaching vulnerable communities on the front lines who need it most," he added.

Poor countries are supposed to receive $300bn a year from the governments of industrialised nations by 2035, along with about $1tn from other sources, to help them cope with the effects of extreme weather and shift to a low-carbon future. Many developing countries, including India, have been pressing wealthy countries to turn past promises into predictable, accessible funding.

At the opening of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, India has reiterated that developed nations must deliver on their climate finance obligations under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement, developed countries are obliged to provide climate finance to help developing countries cut their emissions and prepare for climate disasters.

COP31 is the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, currently taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The Turkish Presidency of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has proposed a global 35-by-35 electrification pledge.

Stiell also acknowledged that the world is facing a global fossil fuel cost crisis, with rising fossil fuel import costs driving inflation across economies. “The Turkish Presidency’s focus on electrification…shows that by electrifying more of their energy use, powered by renewables and better grids, countries can reduce energy bills and reduce pollution, which improves people's health and can lower energy bills. PM Modi's recent announcement on the Green Energy Corridor to strengthen grids and battery storage is a major step forward that will deliver big dividends for India's people and economy,” the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said.

On being asked about the UNFCCC’s key priorities for COP31, Steill stated that COP31 is about showing and driving real-world progress on practical issues that matter to people in their everyday lives. “We are focusing more than ever before on practical solutions that help countries deliver targets and pledges already made. Through both negotiations and the Global Climate Action Agenda - two parallel and complementary tracks.”