Introduction

This policy brief outlines the African perspective on thematic priorities for the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31), scheduled for November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the continent’s focus has shifted from negotiating commitments to implementation. This occurs against a turbulent backdrop where geopolitical disruptions, such as conflict between the United States and Iran, constrained oil supplies from 20 million barrels per day to an average of 2.7 million barrels per day between March and May 2026. Furthermore, the United States formally withdrew from the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC in January 2026.

Africa faces significant costs from intersecting crises, warming faster than the global average. To meet 2030 climate goals, the continent requires approximately US$190-277 billion in climate finance annually, yet received only US$43.7 billion in 2021/2022. Loss and damage costs are projected at US$440 billion in Africa between 2020 and 2030.

Key COP31 priorities

Climate adaptation and resilience

Adaptation remains a primary test for the international climate regime. In 2024, floods and landslides displaced more than 700,000 people across Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi. However, only 27 of the 54 African countries have submitted National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Regarding the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), Africa insists on tripling adaptation finance by 2035. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) showed US$822.06 million in pledges by September 2025, but only US$397.74 million had been received, despite a funding request pipeline of US$2.8 billion across 119 countries.

Climate finance

Africa demands that developed countries treat finance under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement as a legally binding obligation. Public finance must form the foundation, prioritising grants and highly concessional resources over debt. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) includes a target of at least US$300 billion per year for developing countries, with efforts to scale total climate investments to at least US$1.3 trillion per year by 2035. Africa seeks to ensure that the tripling of adaptation finance, calculated as US$120 billion by 2035 based on earlier doubling pledges, is delivered without compromising quality.

Just transitions

For Africa, just transitions must advance universal energy access, industrialisation, and poverty reduction. The report calls for the operationalisation of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) with representative governance. A related voluntary Action Agenda target seeks to increase electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. Africa emphasises that this must be an access agenda, supporting productive uses of electricity in agriculture and manufacturing rather than solely focusing on decarbonisation.

Enhanced transparency framework: support for reporting and capacity-building

By June 2026, 132 countries had submitted their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). Africa argues that transparency finance should be a standing Paris Agreement obligation rather than a line item in the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Gaps identified include understaffing and slow disbursement of funding, which must be addressed before the second BTR cycle concludes in December 2026.

Mitigation

Africa maintains that the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) should remain facilitative and non-prescriptive, respecting national circumstances. Mitigation policy must support energy access and productive electrification rather than treating emissions reduction as a stand-alone objective. Transitioning away from fossil fuels must be orderly and equitable, addressing fiscal dependence and economic diversification.

Technology governance development and transfer

Technology transfer must move beyond the supply of finished products to include co-development, knowledge transfer, and local manufacturing capabilities. Africa currently supplies many minerals for the global energy transition but receives little value from the resulting technologies. Priorities include addressing intellectual property barriers and increasing support for adaptation technologies, such as early warning systems.

Global stocktake

The second Global Stocktake (GST2) begins at COP31 and will run through 2028. Africa insists that GST2 provides a comparable assessment of progress across adaptation and mitigation, weighing the adaptation finance gap in actual dollar values and avoiding flat global benchmarks that ignore historical responsibilities.

Climate-related trade measures

Concerns have intensified regarding unilateral measures like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which entered its definitive regime in 2026. Africa argues these measures create additional compliance costs and restrict market access for exporters of iron, steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers. COP31 should ensure trade acts as an enabler for green industrialisation rather than a vehicle for protectionism.

Youth and cross sectoral alliances

With the world’s youngest population, Africa demands meaningful participation for youth that extends beyond representation to influencing policy design. COP31 must operationalise Article 12 of the Paris Agreement to support inclusive participation and mobilising finance for youth-led climate solutions.

COP31 action agenda priorities (non-negotiated)

The Action Agenda provides an opportunity to reinforce priorities in food security, resilient cities, and oceans. The ‘Zero Waste’ initiative highlights that global waste is projected to reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. Africa expects the presidency to frame circularity as beneficial for adaptation, particularly in reducing post-harvest agricultural losses and improving health outcomes.

Conclusion

The success of COP31 depends on closing the gap between commitments and implementation. Africa seeks clearer pathways to resources and greater policy space to pursue climate-compatible development, ensuring that Antalya serves as a vital staging point for COP32 in Addis Ababa.