AFRICA URGED TO UNITE AROUND A CLEAR AND AMBITIOUS COP31 STRATEGY

African climate negotiators have begun a three-day strategy meeting in Accra to develop a coordinated continental position ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. The meeting, taking place from 12–14 August, will review the outcomes of SB64 in Bonn and identify Africa’s priorities, actions and expected outcomes for COP31.

AGN Chair Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah stressed that Africa must approach COP31 with greater unity and strategic clarity. Despite differences in national circumstances, African countries share a collective responsibility to advance the continent’s interests and protect communities already experiencing droughts, floods, heatwaves, coastal erosion and unpredictable rainfall.

The discussions will address climate finance, adaptation, just transition, mitigation, Article 6, agriculture, gender, capacity building, climate and trade, climate and health, science, oceans, mountains, and climate change, peace and security. The meeting is expected to produce an actionable COP31 Action Matrix outlining responsibilities, timelines and deliverables, while also laying the groundwork for COP32 in Addis Ababa in 2027.

Speaking at the meeting, Walters Tubua of the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa warned that rising temperatures and intensifying climate impacts were reversing Africa’s development gains. He called for stronger international cooperation, effective implementation and enhanced national capacity to access climate finance, noting that Africa continues to receive less than five per cent of global climate finance, according to some estimates.

Both speakers emphasised that climate negotiations are not merely about technical texts and procedures; they directly affect Africa’s livelihoods, economies and development prospects. As climate action increasingly intersects with trade, energy, critical minerals, industrialisation, technology and finance, Africa must move beyond business as usual and enter COP31 with a unified, forward-looking and implementation-focused strategy.

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