Angola will advocate for strengthened climate financing for vulnerable countries and present projects covering adaptation, food security and energy transition at the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), which opened on Monday, 9 November, in Antalya, Turkey, and runs until 20 November.

The Angolan delegation is led by Environment Minister Ana Paula de Carvalho, representing President João Lourenço. It includes officials from several ministries, diplomats, and representatives from both the public and private sectors, who will present initiatives across different areas of climate action.

Among the delegation’s priorities are the National Adaptation Plan, food security, agriculture, health, biodiversity and the energy transition. The Angolan pavilion will showcase projects on environmental recovery, the development of resilient cities, and the mobilisation of investment to address the effects of climate change.

Angola’s participation builds on the position it advanced at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where Minister Ana Paula de Carvalho unveiled Angola’s updated national climate contribution (NDC 3.0). At that conference, she called for financing that is ‘predictable and accessible’ and highlighted the country’s progress in energy efficiency and the use of clean energy sources, including solar and hydropower.

In Antalya, the delegation is expected to reiterate that position, against a backdrop in which financing remains one of the most contentious issues in the negotiations. The centrepiece of the conference will be the heads of state and government summit, scheduled for 11 and 12 November, under the theme ‘Dialogue, Consensus and Action’.

Turkey Hosts Conference as Australia Leads Negotiations

COP31 has been organised as a joint venture between Turkey and Australia. The host country holds the presidency through Environment Minister Murat Kurum, while the conduct of negotiations falls to Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.

The conference brings together the 197 signatory states to the convention, as well as the European Union, which negotiates as a single bloc. Observer organisations, businesses, journalists and civil society representatives are also participating. According to Turkish media, 85 world leaders and approximately 300 ministers have been confirmed, with more than 1.5 million visitors expected in Antalya.

For the second consecutive year, the United States is absent from the conference, following its formal withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in January 2026. Its exit from the UN convention that underpins the COP process is not expected to be formalised until February next year.

The American withdrawal is affecting the multilateral character of the negotiations and the funding of the UN’s climate secretariat. The United States previously contributed approximately 22% of the body’s core budget, meaning its departure represents a significant loss of resources.

Despite the federal government’s position, several US states are maintaining their commitment to climate policy through the U.S. Climate Alliance.

Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=559755