By Ilya U. Topper y Luis Lidón
Antalya, Turquía, Nov 13 (EFE).- COP31 shifted on Friday from speeches by world leaders to a tug-of-war over funding and agreements, as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres bid farewell to the climate summits by calling for an end to fossil fuels and for assistance to vulnerable countries without drowning them in more debt.
»The future of our planet cannot be negotiated on the terms of those profiting from its destruction,» Guterres said during his final press conference at COP31, where he criticized the fossil fuel lobby and marked the start of discussions on a possible final political document.
Guterres, who is stepping down as UN secretary-general at the end of the year, took stock of his nearly 10 years at the helm of the organization and defended his commitment to telling the truth about global warming, even if it was uncomfortable.
“You cannot build peace on a burning planet,” he said, noting that climate change exacerbates hunger, displacement, debt, and competition for land and water.
The Portuguese politician called for accelerating a transition away from fossil fuels to reduce economies’ exposure to price volatility and geopolitical instability.
The secretary-general also supported expanding renewable energy, but insisted that such growth must reduce production, consumption, and fossil fuel emissions.
Guterres warned that exceeding 1.5 degrees of warming is inevitable and called for limiting the magnitude and duration of that overshoot to return below the threshold.
With current national commitments, he warned, the world is on track for about 2.5 degrees by the end of the century.
His farewell included a meeting with civil society representatives, who thanked him for his commitment to the fight against climate change.
The economy took center stage for much of Friday, which was dedicated to finance and trade, with a common demand: that resources be provided without increasing poor countries’ debt.
“You cannot speak seriously about justice when those who did least to cause this crisis suffer first and worst,” Guterres declared, noting that those who pollute most have not raised the funds to assist those who are suffering.
The secretary-general proposed multiplying the impact of contributions through development banks.
He argued that one dollar allocated to these institutions can support between eight and 10 dollars in financing, thanks to their ability to raise funds in the markets.
He also advocated expanding guarantees, which allow for risk-sharing and attract private investment.
In his view, these mechanisms can mobilize more money without increasing budget deficits in developed countries, but they require overcoming political and bureaucratic resistance.
A “Vicious Cycle”
The UN’s climate change chief, Simon Stiell, urged that countries not be forced to “choose between paying their debts and strengthening their resilience.”
In his remarks, he outlined a “vicious cycle”: the threat of disasters makes loans more expensive; when a catastrophe strikes, revenues fall and reconstruction costs rise, leaving countries with fewer resources to prevent further damage.
Stiell called for affordable financing, simpler procedures, and grants for the most vulnerable economies.
The First “Reflections”
These demands coincided with the publication of the presidency’s first “reflections” on the potential final document, known in English as the “cover decision.”
This final document brings together the summit’s main policy guidelines and connects negotiated issues to ensure coherence.
What was published on Friday is not a draft agreement, nor does it reflect consensus; it simply organizes all the delegations’ proposals.
Among them are commitments to address global warming, phase out fossil fuels, and increase the share of electricity in global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
It also includes requests not to single out specific energy sources, along with Brazil’s roadmaps for phasing out fossil fuels and combating deforestation.
On financing, it sets a goal of 300 billion dollars annually by 2035, as part of a 1.3 trillion dollars effort from public and private sources, and details how to triple resources for adaptation to prepare for climate change.
Approval of the final document requires consensus, so many issues will be left out, although not all of its content will become legally binding.
Delegations will submit written proposals over the weekend, ahead of a first draft scheduled, in principle, for early next week. EFE
ll-iut/mcd
