COP31 Opens in Antalya as Pakistan Seeks Climate Grants, Not Loans

The UN climate summit COP31 opened on Monday, November 9, at the Antalya Expo Centre in Türkiye, bringing together representatives of nearly 200 countries for two weeks of talks, while Pakistan arrived with a clear demand: climate finance for vulnerable countries must come as grants, not as more loans.

Türkiye is hosting the conference, while Australia is presiding over the negotiations under a special arrangement agreed between the two countries. Organisers have described COP31 as an “implementation conference”, meant to turn earlier promises into measurable action.

COP31 at a Glance

• Venue: Antalya Expo Centre, Antalya, Türkiye
• Opening: November 9, 2026, for about two weeks
• Host: Türkiye; presidency of negotiations: Australia
• Participants: delegations from nearly 200 countries
• Main focus: implementing climate pledges, adaptation finance and the energy transition
• United States: no official government delegation after Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement; some US lawmakers are attending

Warming Warning Hangs Over COP31

The talks open under a stark warning from the United Nations that current national climate plans still put the world on course for around 2.6°C of warming this century, far above the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. Negotiators are under pressure to close that gap with stronger action on emissions and faster support for countries already facing floods, heatwaves and droughts.

Finance Is the Biggest Fight

Money remains the main obstacle. At COP29 in Baku, countries agreed a new goal of at least $300 billion a year in climate finance for developing nations by 2035. At COP30 in Belém, a roadmap towards $1.3 trillion a year and a call to triple adaptation finance were set out. In Antalya, African and other developing nations want those adaptation funds tripled in practice so they can build infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather.

Türkiye is also backing a goal to raise electricity’s share of global energy demand from about 20% to 35% by 2035, while European negotiators have warned that electrification plans must not prolong dependence on fossil fuels.

Pakistan’s Agenda at COP31

Pakistan, one of the countries most exposed to climate disasters, is taking a firm position on finance. Its main demands include:

• Grants, not loans: climate support should not add to the debt burden of countries that contribute little to global emissions.
• More adaptation money: faster delivery of the promise to triple adaptation finance.
• Loss and damage: practical access to funds for communities hit by floods and heatwaves.

Under its updated national climate plan, Pakistan aims to cut 50% of its projected emissions by 2035, with 17 percentage points of that target unconditional and 33 points conditional on international finance and technology support. Pakistan also plans a series of sessions at its pavilion to present its climate projects and investment needs.

Why COP31 Matters for Pakistan

• Disaster risk: the 2022 floods showed how one climate disaster can cause damage worth billions of dollars.
• Debt pressure: loan-based climate finance would add to Pakistan’s already heavy external debt.
• Energy transition: funding decisions at COP31 could support solar, wind and grid projects in the country.
• Food and water: adaptation money is needed for water storage, crops and heat-resilient cities.

Climate experts say the success of the Antalya talks will be judged less by new headline pledges and more by whether existing promises are funded, tracked and delivered on time.

What to Watch at COP31

Over the next two weeks, negotiators will try to agree on how adaptation finance will be measured and delivered, how countries will report progress on their climate plans, and how the energy transition can be speeded up. For Pakistan, the key test of COP31 will be whether promises of support finally turn into grant-based money that reaches the people most at risk.

For official updates, visit the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.

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