Day 3 at COP31: World leaders arrive as zero waste and methane top the agenda

In short

The Antalya Leaders’ Summit opened today, bringing heads of state and government to COP31 to set the tone for the negotiations ahead. Today was a day of speeches and calls to action from leaders, giving us an insight into how negotiations might play out in the coming days and weeks.

Many European leaders were absent, and the UK was the only G7 country represented. Those present included Brazil’s President Lula, China’s Vice President Han Zheng, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, alongside leaders from around the world.

Day 3 featured many discussions putting forward the ‘business case’ for investing in climate action, but speeches from developing countries this afternoon opposed the simple idea of  the business case for action, emphasising that for many countries it’s a matter of survival. Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands said simply “Find money for life, not death”, a statement in striking contrast with the business approach of developed countries.

We also saw discussions around the thematic day on 'zero waste, methane and circularity' as the COP31 presidency hosted a leaders Roundtable on these issues.

Leaders Summit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened with a warning. “Our first climate duty is to tell the truth. And the truth is that the climate crisis is outrunning us,” he said. He urged governments to plan a just transition or pay for it in lost lives and livelihoods and called for windfall profits to be taxed to fund adaptation: “polluters must pay.” This was his last major address to delegates at a COP event, as he will retire at the end of the year.

The summit then heard speeches from country representatives of COP30 and 31. President Lula argued that Brazil shows that economies can grow while cutting emissions: it has reduced net emissions by 42% since 2005 and is forecast to become the world’s eighth largest economy.

After his controversial announcement of new oil field discovery last night, President Erdogan of Türkiye addressed leaders by saying he had “had enough of the greedy mindset that sacrifices ecology for economy”, which fuelled further criticism due to the apparent contradiction with the oil field discovery announcement.

Key messages from national statements

The clearest and sharpest messages came from this afternoon’s national statements. Developing countries and those most exposed to climate impacts addressed the room on fossil fuel expansion, debt and finance.

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine delivered a direct rebuttal to Türkiye’s oil announcement. “The discovery of new fossil fuel resources is not something to celebrate, but something to fear,” she said. Talking about rising spending on war, she added: “Find money for life, not death”.

The president of the Federated States of Micronesia said Pacific nations had not come to COP just to describe what they stand to lose. He, and many LDC’s said that if the huge sums of national debt that Africa and Small Islands were paying were not addressed, there would be no real way forward for resilience and adaptation.

Ethiopia, hosts of COP32 said they are doing their part, banning the import of petrol and diesel cars but they need more support. He asked developed countries for financial support with clear guidelines: How much? By when? And on what terms? 

In response, we also heard some new commitments put forward. The prime minister of Norway announced a new partnership with the UK and Canada to generate $10bn in climate finance by 2030 using private capital.  We will hear from PM Andy Burnham in the continuation of the event tomorrow.

Implementation talks

Discussions on implementation today centred on the business case for climate action and how to turn plans into investable projects. Despite most speakers over the last three days mentioning actionable solutions, there was still a lack today. With banks and investors contributing, the emphasis was on strategies for making investment attractive, protecting capital and connecting public support with private finance.

At one event titled “From billions to trillions”, participants explored why finance still struggles to reach projects. Speaking on behalf of BBVA, one speaker said there was a general misunderstanding of risk in sustainable investment and he challenged perceptions of risk in developing countries.

The OECD–UNDP and COP31 Presidency roundtable reinforced the economic case. Headed by the COP31 Presidency who called this the “Implementation COP”, the OECD stated that ambitious climate plans could boost GDP and cut fuel import prices, with investments paying for themselves over time. But the challenge will be to raise the initial finance which is heavily dependent on three indicators: policy certainty to reassure investors, country-led investment platforms, and using public money to mobilise more private capital.

Avevo, a large UK investment bank contributing to discussions, said investors need to see support for both supply and demand sides. He used the example of EVs, where backing innovation and supporting manufacturers was complemented by grants and charging infrastructure which made EVs more accessible for consumers. For industry, the investment case depends on a credible market opportunity more than new clean technologies, and this opportunity can be created.

Zero Waste, Circularity and Methane

Today’s thematic focus on zero waste, circularity and methane brought countries together in a high level roundtable to share targets and implementation plans. The leaders’ roundtable was headed by Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdoğan who has done extensive work over the last 10 years on Zero Waste, and Turkish economist and director of the Internation Energy Agency Fatih Birol. He framed zero waste as a “cornerstone of climate action”, connecting the circular economy, production and consumption habits, and “more than an agenda item”

Emine Erdoğan set out the state of waste in her introduction and reminded leaders of the goal: a 50% reduction in global added waste by 2035. Global municipal solid waste is projected to rise from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion by 2050. Methane, is responsible for around 30% of current warming, with waste and landfills as a major source alongside fossil fuel extraction and meat and dairy production. Tackling landfill and waste through the angle of circular economy therefore also creates a significant chance of decreasing man-made waste emissions by 2030. As Malaysia’s representative says: “The most sustainable waste is the waste we never generate”.

The UK highlighted its commitment to a circular economy, a 50% waste reduction target by 2040 and “simpler recycling”. For industry and waste-sector associations, these plans connect directly to EPR and new recycling schemes. The UK also called for consistent measurement of circularity, which was echoed by other countries.

LDCs, voiced by Eswatini, stressed again that for them, delivery requires technology transfer, funding and capacity building. Implementation remains the struggle, especially for developing countries.

 

Also to note

World leaders gathered for the Summit on Forests, where Ed Miliband backed the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF). Britain didn’t contribute last year when the fund was first agreed at Belém, but announced in September their intention to invest up to £400 million via a loan.

This morning, the Global Implementation Accelerator discussion offered a more focused approach to delivery. The accelerator will select two solutions annually and concentrate support for around two years, targeting positive social tipping points to enable further changes. However, this project is only starting out, and Palau noted that if the accelerator prioritises the likeliest tipping points, it would probably not focus on small island developing states or least developed countries – preferring countries with higher emissions or GDP. Partner announcements and further consultations are expected on Friday.

Looking forward

Tomorrow the Leaders Summit will continue with more High-Level Dialogues on the Paris agreement, urban resilience and more national statements through the day. For UK members, we can expect the statement of Andy Burnham, who just announced a £12bn investment in offshore wind from energy companies and the National Wealth Fund. This is a positive signal for the UK’s commitments this year, amidst backlash against the approval of oil field Jackdaw last month.

Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) are virtually attending COP31 in Antalya as official NGO Observers. We are committed to delivering daily insights and an end of COP report to ensure you stay fully informed on the outcomes that matter to membership organisations and their members.

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