Every Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) now arrives with a slogan. Turkey has branded COP31 the “COP of the Future: The COP of Implementation”. Egypt promised an “implementation COP” at COP27, as did Brazil with COP30. A label claimed three times in five summits risks meaning nothing. Antalya should give it verifiable meaning: Report progress, show finance, and track voluntary targets.

Turkey and Australia had bid to host and preside over COP31, and settled on a division: Turkey hosts, holds the presidency and leads the non-negotiated Action Agenda, while Australia steers the negotiations.

But what does an “implementation” COP mean? Climate COPs remain negotiating forums on issues like mitigation, adaptation, and finance but the questions have changed since the Paris Agreement’s rules were adopted at COP24 and finalised at COP26. Negotiators once asked what needs to be done and who will do it; they now ask how it will be done and where we stand.

Presidencies increasingly lean on the action........

© Indian Express