The fourth day of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), held in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday, 12 November 2026, saw renewed criticism of governments' insufficient climate action by activists, while developing countries warned about the growing human costs of global warming. Governments meanwhile, affirmed their commitment to the green transition by announcing new measures to cut methane emissions.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg made her first appearance at the annual UN climate negotiations in five years, sharply criticizing governments for failing to prevent environmental degradation. Speaking alongside activists from Nepal, Canada and Australia, the 23-year-old argued that environmental destruction was the consequence of political decisions and inaction. "The planet is not dying, it is being killed," she declared. She also connected the climate crisis to armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, warning of a future marked by increasing environmental destruction and violations of basic rights.
Political leaders attending the summit similarly highlighted the immediate consequences of climate change. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the only G7 leader present, stressed that the climate crisis was already damaging lives and livelihoods. He reaffirmed the UK's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions and supported proposals to accelerate the electrification of national economies.
The human consequences of climate-related disasters were further underlined by Nepal's Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary, who recalled the devastating glacier-related floods and landslides that struck the country in August, killing more than 1,500 people. Describing the disaster as a "mountain tsunami", she highlighted the irreparable loss of lives and cultural heritage. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa addressed the environmental consequences of the three-year war with Israel. He described the destruction of water supplies, sewage infrastructure and agricultural land in Gaza, arguing that Israeli restrictions on access to natural resources had further intensified Palestine's climate challenges.
Thursday’s major event was the Leaders' Level Methane and Other Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Summit, co-hosted by Brazil, China and the United Kingdom alongside the COP31 Presidency. Chaired by UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, the meeting brought together government representatives, international organisations and climate finance institutions to accelerate reductions in methane and other non-CO₂ greenhouse gases. Philanthropic partners announced more than 480 million dollars in additional funding, building on over 530 million dollars already delivered since the Global Methane Pledge was launched in 2021. The new commitments will support emission reductions across energy, agriculture and waste, besides initiatives involving black carbon, clean cooking, transport and cooling.
The Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator further reinforced international cooperation. Speaking for the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in the UK's role as Co-Chair, UK Climate Minister Katie White announced pledges to double the initiative's funding, bringing it to 50 million dollars. The budget increase reflects the accession of seven new countries – Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines and Uzbekistan to the group made up of Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa, who announced their participation at COP 30. The Accelerator aims to support 30 developing countries by 2030 through national teams, technical assistance and investment-ready projects. China also outlined its domestic efforts, including the integration of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases into its economy-wide emissions control target for 2035 and a target to establish 30 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent abatement capacity by 2030.
Meanwhile, negotiations on the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) exposed differences between developed and developing countries over its institutional structure and responsibilities. The G77 and China, supported by several developing-country groups, advocated a two-tier governance system combining a Party-driven political or policy component with a technical implementation-support structure. They argued that the mechanism should help developing countries implement nationally determined transition pathways through capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and improved access to finance and technology. Ghana, representing the African Group, stressed that a just transition could not be achieved without adequate financial and technical support from developed countries.
Developed countries, however, were more cautious about establishing a new institution, favouring the use of existing UN bodies and expert groups to avoid duplication and additional administrative costs. The European Union supported an implementation-focused mechanism that would complement political oversight and align just transition policies with the Paris Agreement and the Global Stocktake. The United Kingdom and Canada also highlighted the potential role of the UNFCCC Secretariat in coordinating existing initiatives.
Source: Anna Szedlacsek for commonspace.eu with Climate & Clean Air Coalition (Paris), The Guardian (London) and Third World Network (Penang).
You can read more about COP 31 in Antalya through regular updates prepared by Anna Szedlacsek
Update 1: A Summit Focused on Implementation, Electrification and Climate Finance here
Update 2: Summit Opens in Turkey Amid Growing Pressure to Turn Climate Commitments into Action here
Update 3: Global Push for Electrification Meets Turkey’s New Oil Discoveries here
Update 4: World leaders address Climate Summit in Antalya here
Update 5: Cities’ Resilience Grows, Adaptation Finance Disputes Persist here
