Enviro News Asia, Istanbul — The Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, stated that a new era of international climate action can provide stability and prosperity amid growing global geopolitical uncertainty.
Speaking at a press conference hosted by the COP31 President Designate, Turkish Minister Murat Kurum, in Istanbul, Stiell emphasized that climate cooperation remains a powerful instrument to counter instability, conflict, and economic insecurity.
He noted that COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, will occur during a period marked by global disorder, trade tensions, and challenges to multilateral cooperation. Despite these pressures, he stressed that climate action offers a clear pathway to security, economic resilience, and sustainable growth.
Stiell outlined three distinct eras of climate action, beginning with the recognition of the climate problem, followed by the solutions-oriented phase that produced the Paris Agreement. He described the coming period as a third era focused on implementation, scaling up action, and delivering tangible results.
According to Stiell, progress over the past decade demonstrates the effectiveness of collective action. Global clean energy investment has increased tenfold since the Paris Agreement, exceeding two trillion US dollars annually. In 2025, renewable energy overtook coal as the world’s leading source of electricity, while clean energy investment continued to outpace fossil fuel spending.
He highlighted key priorities for the implementation era, including doubling global energy efficiency, tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just and orderly manner, strengthening climate resilience, and expanding access to climate finance, particularly for vulnerable and developing countries.
Stiell also stressed the importance of accelerating climate finance flows, lowering the cost of capital, and strengthening the role of multilateral development banks to support national climate plans and adaptation strategies.
In addition, he called for stronger coalitions among ambitious countries to advance fossil fuel transition, halt deforestation, and operationalize global initiatives such as the Global Implementation Accelerator and Mission 1.5.
Addressing concerns about the feasibility of sustained climate cooperation amid fractured geopolitics, Stiell said climate action is firmly in the self-interest of all nations. He pointed to benefits such as lower energy costs, reduced pollution, job creation, expanded energy access, and improved economic resilience.
He concluded by underscoring Türkiye’s role as a diplomatic crossroads and reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting Türkiye and Australia in ensuring that COP31 delivers meaningful outcomes for people, prosperity, and the planet. (*)
