At COP31 in Türkiye, Finnish president urges united global climate action

Global action at COP31

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in his Wednesday address to the COP31 UN climate conference in Türkiye's southern province of Antalya that countries must confront climate change collectively, warning that no nation can escape its consequences or tackle the crisis alone.

In the address, Stubb said, “No country, regardless of its size, power or geography, can shield itself from the consequences of climate change. And none of us can tackle it alone,” and warned that international conflicts must not distract from climate action. He stressed that the crisis continues to affect countries worldwide, with its consequences already evident in devastating floods in Nepal, rising sea levels threatening coastal and small island states and wildfires across Europe.

Three priorities for progress

Stubb identified multilateralism, science and resilience as the three priorities for an effective global response. He stressed, “We cannot tackle the climate crisis without multilateralism.”

Despite disagreements among countries, Stubb called the Paris Agreement the common framework and added that “its credibility depends on implementation.” With global structures in flux, he said flexible alliances and coalitions of willing countries could help sustain progress; no country, he emphasized, should be held back or left behind.

Science and clean energy

On science, Stubb warned that the latest reports indicate a temporary breach of the 1.5C warming threshold is highly likely. He said, “Science leaves us little room for complacency,” while stressing that advances in climate research, innovation and early warning systems could improve preparedness and save lives.

He added, “Advances in artificial intelligence, satellite data and digital networks can also help us to adapt to change,” and said tackling climate change and accelerating the transition to clean energy are not only environmental necessities but also opportunities to strengthen competitiveness and economic resilience. “By reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, diversifying energy supplies and accelerating electrification, we can strengthen resilience and create new opportunities for sustainable growth,” he said, adding, “Broad access to technology can also help us to reduce global inequalities,”