COP31: Why Nations must move from climate promises to action
By Oke Peter
The world cannot afford to approach the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31, as another annual gathering where governments make ambitious declarations, take photographs and return home to business as usual. The climate crisis has moved beyond the stage where promises alone can reassure vulnerable populations. What the world needs now is implementation, accountability and measurable results.
COP31 is scheduled to hold from November 9 to 20, 2026, at the Antalya EXPO Center in Antalya, Türkiye. Türkiye will host and preside over the conference, while Australia will lead the negotiations. The meeting is expected to bring together representatives of nearly 200 countries that are parties to the United Nations climate convention, alongside international organisations, businesses, scientists, civil society groups, indigenous representatives and other stakeholders.
The broad participation makes COP31 an important opportunity, but its significance will ultimately depend on what countries are prepared to contribute and what they do after the conference. For nations preparing for Antalya, attendance should therefore go beyond sending delegations to deliver speeches. Governments should arrive with concrete proposals, credible climate plans, financing strategies, investment opportunities and clear targets that can be monitored after the conference.
For developing countries across Africa, climate change is already affecting agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, energy systems and livelihoods. At the same time, many African countries are still struggling to provide adequate electricity access and create enough jobs for rapidly growing populations. Africa needs to reduce emissions and build climate resilience, but it also needs economic development. A successful energy transition cannot leave developing countries without reliable and affordable energy. COP31 should therefore encourage realistic national pathways rather than impose a single model on every country.
For Nigeria, this distinction is particularly important because the country has enormous energy needs, while its economy remains closely connected to oil and gas. At the same time, Nigeria possesses substantial opportunities in solar power, gas, energy efficiency, clean cooking, methane reduction, transmission development and other emerging areas of the energy transition. Nigeria should use COP31 to present investment-ready projects instead of limiting its participation to requests for financial assistance. Climate commitments become more meaningful when they are connected to projects that can improve electricity supply, create employment, strengthen industries and reduce environmental damage.
Sadly, one of the biggest obstacles facing developing countries is not simply a lack of climate projects, but the difficulty of turning those projects into investments. High financing costs, currency risks, inadequate infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty and limited access to affordable capital can prevent viable projects from reaching implementation. COP31 must therefore maintain pressure for climate finance that is accessible, predictable and appropriate to the needs of developing countries.
Financial commitments should also be judged by how much money actually reaches projects and communities, rather than by the size of announcements made at international conferences. Even if global emissions were to decline rapidly, many communities would continue to experience the effects of climate change. Flooding, drought, extreme heat, changing rainfall patterns and other climate-related risks require immediate investment in resilient infrastructure.
Governments need to strengthen drainage systems, water infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, electricity networks and urban planning. Climate adaptation should not be viewed merely as environmental expenditure, it is an investment in protecting economic development.
To be candid, governments alone cannot finance the enormous infrastructure required for the global energy transition. Banks, investors, energy companies, technology firms and manufacturers control significant amounts of capital and expertise. COP31 should encourage them to make measurable commitments to clean energy, efficiency, resilient infrastructure and lower-carbon technologies.
Developed countries have greater financial and technological capacity and have contributed significantly to historical emissions. Developing countries, meanwhile, need room to pursue economic development while gradually reducing the environmental intensity of that growth. A fair climate framework must recognise these differences without allowing them to become an excuse for inaction. Most importantly, the outcome of COP31 must survive beyond Antalya.
Governments should translate agreements reached at the conference into national programmes with deadlines, budgets and measurable indicators. International institutions should track implementation. Civil society and the media should scrutinise progress, while citizens should be able to determine whether their governments are delivering on commitments. There should be a simple test after the conference: What was promised, what was funded, what has been implemented and who has benefited? This is where the real value of COP31 will be determined.
If successful, the benefits will extend far beyond climate statistics. More renewable energy can improve electricity access. Better energy efficiency can reduce costs. Climate-resilient agriculture can strengthen food security. Stronger infrastructure can protect communities from disasters. Cleaner technologies can create new industries and employment opportunities, while international cooperation can accelerate the spread of technologies that individual countries may struggle to develop independently.
COP31 therefore represents an opportunity to connect climate action with economic development, but that opportunity will only be realised if nations arrive prepared to contribute meaningfully and remain committed after the negotiations end.
The world has had decades of climate conferences and countless commitments. The challenge now is not simply reaching another agreement. It is demonstrating that agreements can produce results. When delegates leave Antalya on November 20, 2026, the most important question should not be how impressive the speeches were, it should be whether the decisions taken there have created a credible pathway towards cleaner energy, stronger economies, resilient communities and a safer climate.
COP31 must not be another destination for climate diplomacy. It must become a launchpad for climate action.
Oke Peter can be reached via okepeter062@gmail.com
