COP31 could advance fossil fuel phase-out amid energy crisis, expert says

The COP31 climate summit, to be held this year under Türkiye's presidency and hosting, could provide a key platform for advancing a phase-out of fossil fuels amid an ongoing energy crisis, Annika Markovic, the director of Engagement and Impact at the Stockholm Environment Institute, told Anadolu. The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in November in Antalya, under Türkiye's presidency in partnership with Australia.

COP30 disappointments

Markovic said the previous climate summit, COP30 in Belem, Brazil, was disappointing for many participants, with limited progress on concrete outcomes. "One of the most important ones was the phasing out of fossil fuels. We couldn't reach an agreement on this in Belem," she said.

Türkiye's priorities

Assessing the published agenda for COP31, Markovic said: "I think that it's very good that Türkiye has put the clean transition, the transition to clean energy, as one of the highest priorities for the action agenda." She noted support from IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol for the COP31 process as a concrete reflection of that agenda.

Energy crisis link

Markovic said the world is going through an energy crisis, warning that maintaining a fossil fuel-based system is becoming increasingly costly and difficult for energy security. She stressed the importance of shifting toward clean energy without delay.

Pushback on climate action

Markovic warned that multiple ongoing crises could push climate issues further down the global agenda. "Unfortunately, we see that there is a lot of pushback on the climate change agenda right now. Politicians are not willing to engage. They are giving priority to the more geopolitical security questions," she said.

COP31 expectations

Markovic said she expects COP31 to make some progress on fossil fuel phase-out, while facing difficult decisions on climate finance and consensus-building. "I have strong faith in both Australia and Türkiye to be able to do this," she said, adding: "This time it's going to be the energy COP, but it's also going to continue to be the COP about implementation."