A first version of the draft conclusions, detailing the EU Council’s position in the international climate negotiations to be held in November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye (COP31), has been circulating since the informal meeting of environment ministers in Dublin on Friday 24 July (see EUROPE 13916/2).
An EU Council source explains that the Irish Presidency of the EU Council has a dual objective: to ensure that Europe speaks with one voice, resulting in shorter draft conclusions than last year (five pages instead of 14), and to focus European communication less on reducing CO2 emissions and more on mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This could, in particular, help avoid alienating countries more reluctant to combat climate change and forge new partnerships – with India, China or Saudi Arabia, for example – given the absence of the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
A cautious position. This provisional position of the EU Member States acknowledges that global efforts since the Paris Agreement have not succeeded in limiting global warming to below 1.5°C and calls for greater efforts, notably through “tangible progress on [...] implementation”, to return to its trajectory.
Furthermore, it reaffirms the role of the multilateral process and of science in achieving this and emphasises the obligation to protect human rights, especially those of the most vulnerable populations.
The EU also hopes that decisions can be taken during COP31 to reduce barriers to the energy transition and electrification. Türkiye, which is co-chairing COP31 with Australia, has proposed a global electrification target of 35% by 2035 (see EUROPE 13885/13). The EU is currently working on a European electrification target of 46% by 2040 (see EUROPE 13912/6).
The Economic and Financial Affairs Council will introduce its own conclusions on climate finance, although the draft conclusions already recognise that “public finance alone is inadequate to address the scale of finance required to deliver on the Paris Agreement goals”. Funding from other sources, including private sources, will need to be secured to meet the target of $1.3 trillion per year by 2035 to support developing countries in their fight against climate change.
The draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/n10 (Original version in French by Nadège Delépine)