Australia has called on countries to turn their climate commitments into practical action, warning that delays in addressing climate change are increasing risks to lives, communities, economies, and the environment.

Speaking at the official opening of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations, Chris Bowen, said the world must move faster to address the climate crisis, with greater focus on climate finance, adaptation, resilience and the transition to clean energy.

Bowen said countries must keep the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature target within reach while ensuring that vulnerable nations have the resources and support needed to respond to growing climate impacts.

One of his strongest messages was on the unequal access to climate finance, particularly for developing countries and Small Island Developing States.

“The countries that need climate finance the most are getting it the least,” Bowen said.

He called for climate finance to be delivered faster, more simply and more fairly, stressing that countries with credible climate transition and adaptation plans must be able to access the funding needed to put those plans into action.

Bowen also highlighted the importance of strengthening adaptation and resilience through stronger infrastructure, early warning systems, institutions, and communities.

He said COP31 must make progress across its negotiations, including the global goal on adaptation, the just transition mechanism, climate finance, and stronger mitigation action.

On clean energy, Bowen called for accelerated electrification, supported by renewable energy, modern electricity grids, energy storage, and investment in skills.

He also emphasized that the success of COP31 should not be measured only by new commitments, but by the practical outcomes’ countries can deliver on the ground.

Supporting this call, United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, said the international community must move beyond setting global targets and focus on practical solutions that accelerate implementation.

Stiell said progress on renewable energy and adaptation was encouraging, but remained insufficient and unfair, particularly for countries already experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change.

“The action agenda is not about giving countries a way out of delivering on their commitments. It is about boosting their implementation,” Stiell said.

He called for practical solutions to improve access to committed climate finance, triple adaptation finance, expand renewable energy capacity and reduce methane emissions.

Stiell also stressed that fairness must remain central to the global transition to clean energy and climate resilience, noting that vulnerable communities continue to pay the highest price for a crisis they have contributed least to.

COP31 is being held in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026, under a new partnership arrangement between Türkiye and Australia.

Under the arrangement, Türkiye hosts the conference and holds the COP31 Presidency, led by Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum. Australia, represented by Minister Chris Bowen, leads the official climate negotiations.

The arrangement follows an agreement reached at COP30 in Brazil in November 2025, after both countries had sought to host the 2026 climate conference.

The compromise shares leadership responsibilities between the two countries, with Türkiye overseeing the conference and its Action Agenda, while Australia takes responsibility for guiding the formal negotiations.

The Pacific has also been given an important place in the COP31 process, with Fiji hosting the pre-COP meetings and Tuvalu hosting a special leaders’ event in October, bringing international attention to the region’s climate vulnerabilities and priorities.

For Pacific Island countries, the negotiations on climate finance, adaptation and resilience are particularly important as communities continue to face rising sea levels, stronger climate-related hazards and growing threats to food and water security.

As COP31 begins its two weeks of negotiations, the challenge for countries will be to translate their commitments into tangible action and ensure that support reaches the communities and nations that need it most.