Climate Action: Path to Stability in Chaotic World

UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell has stated that concerted climate action can deliver stability amidst current global disorder and instability. Speaking as Turkiye prepares to host COP31 in Antalya, Stiell pointed to renewable energy as the most economical and straightforward way to achieve energy security and sovereignty.

He noted that the transition to renewables shields countries from disruptions caused by wars and trade turmoil. Stiell described climate action in three phases: recognizing the problem, developing solutions like the Paris Agreement, and the current era focused on implementation. Clean energy investment has surged significantly, with renewables now surpassing coal as the world's top electricity source.

The third era, according to Stiell, requires speeding up and scaling up efforts to meet and exceed targets set in the first global stocktake in 2023. Key to this is rapidly scaling up projects, matching countries with finance and the private sector, and hyper-charging finance flows, especially for developing nations. He stressed the importance of multilateral development banks and ambitious coalitions to transition away from fossil fuels.

Stiell is collaborating with leadership in Brazil, Türkiye, Australia, and Ethiopia towards a successful second global stocktake in 2028. He asserted that despite geopolitical fragmentation, climate cooperation can still achieve the necessary advancements because it is fundamentally in every nation's self-interest, addressing citizens' primary concerns.