Antalya:Addis Ababa Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos has called on nations to bolster multilateral cooperation and address the climate finance gap to advance global climate commitments. His appeal was made during his statement at the COP31 plenary in Antalya, Türkiye.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Gedion emphasized the increasing challenges to international climate action and the necessity for collective responses. He noted that the climate crisis is worsening amid geopolitical tensions and shifting economic relationships influenced by national security considerations.
The Foreign Minister highlighted that competition over technology, investment, and trade is hindering climate efforts, even as countries are under pressure to cut emissions and boost resilience against climate impacts. He referenced scientific assessments, including UNEP's Adaptation Gap Report, to stress the urgency of limiting global warming and closing adaptation gaps.
Gedion argued that to tackle the persistent gaps in mitigation and adaptation, closing the climate finance gap is essential. This would enable nations to pursue their climate commitments despite challenging financing conditions. He underscored the need for COP31 to progress on key climate agendas such as mitigation, adaptation, finance, just transitions, and the means of implementation.
Expressing solidarity with countries affected by climate change, Gedion reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to support the COP31 Presidency in advancing the conference's objectives. He acknowledged Türkiye for hosting the event, Australia for its leadership, and Brazil for the achievements during its COP30 Presidency.
Looking ahead to the second Global Stocktake (GST2) under the Paris Agreement, Gedion stressed the importance of assessing where implementation has stalled and identifying how international cooperation can overcome existing obstacles. As Ethiopia prepares to assume the COP32 Presidency, he emphasized rebuilding confidence in multilateral climate cooperation, highlighting the need for inclusive processes and serious engagement with differences in order to connect global ambition with national implementation.
