From climate commitments to implementation: What's at stake at COP31?

As the devastating impacts of global warming intensify worldwide, from deadly heatwaves and floods to droughts and wildfires, the human and economic costs of the climate crisis are mounting. Renewable energy offers an increasingly cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels, while reducing geopolitical dependencies. Yet many countries remain locked into fossil-fuel dependencies or are even expanding them. The conference in Santa Marta in April 2026 brought new momentum for a rapid, fair and financed phase-out of fossil fuels. Following COP30's failure to agree on a fossil-fuel phase-out roadmap, COP31 in Antalya (9–20 November) will test whether this momentum can translate into concrete action. Negotiations will also need to address insufficient national climate commitments, the implementation of adaptation targets and the persistent gap in climate finance, particularly for loss and damage.

What would a successful COP31 look like, and how can the EU help advance international cooperation on fossil-fuel phase-out and climate finance? How can the European Parliament and civil society push for greater ambition while ensuring that the EU's own climate policies remain credible? And what concrete progress is needed on climate reparations and loss-and-damage finance to meet the needs of communities already experiencing devastating climate impacts?

Ahead of the negotiations in Antalya, this lunch discussion will bring together EU institutions, civil society and climate experts to assess the prospects for COP31. Drawing on perspectives from EU climate diplomacy, the European Parliament and climate justice advocacy in Central America, we will discuss the political obstacles, opportunities for cooperation and concrete outcomes needed from the summit.

This event is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Louise Mollenhauer (Louise.Mollenhauer [at] eu.boell.org) and Laura Navarro Preuß (Laura.NavarroPreuss [at] eu.boell.org).