Chiemelie Eze in Antalya, Turkiye
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, has called on world leaders to accelerate climate action, saying international cooperation on climate change can help ease inflationary pressures, strengthen energy security and protect national economies from global shocks.
Stiell made the call during the High-Level Segment for Heads of State and Government at the ongoing 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
He said climate action had become critical to national security and economic stability, warning that the consequences of delayed action were increasingly reflected in rising energy costs, pressure on government budgets and declining living standards.
According to him, international climate cooperation, alongside national efforts, had helped reduce projected global warming from well over four degrees Celsius to about 2.6 degrees.
He also noted that cooperation had brought climate adaptation into mainstream policy discussions and accelerated the global transition to clean energy, with investments in clean energy now exceeding those in fossil fuels.
However, Stiell said the pace of progress remained inadequate and the benefits of climate action had not been shared equitably, particularly with vulnerable countries that contributed very little to the climate crisis.
“Action is not yet fast enough – the science demands we drastically pace up. And it’s not yet fair enough – the benefits have not been shared equally,” he said.
He called for increased support for vulnerable nations, stressing the need to ensure that more people benefit from climate interventions at a faster pace.
The UN climate chief said instability in global energy markets, compounded by climate-related disasters, was worsening inflation, increasing household expenses and placing additional pressure on national economies.
He argued that reducing dependence on fossil fuels would help countries achieve greater energy security and protect their economies from unpredictable price movements.
“Clean energy means secure energy and more sustainable and stable economies – protected from fossil fuel volatility,” he said.
Stiell also stressed that investments in disaster resilience would protect lives and strengthen global supply chains, which are essential for economic stability and growth.
On the direction of COP31, he said the conference would focus on translating existing climate commitments and national action plans into practical solutions capable of delivering measurable economic and social benefits.
He identified electrification, tripling adaptation finance and improving access to climate finance without reopening previous agreements as key areas of focus.
Stiell explained that the conference would pursue two complementary tracks: formal negotiations and the Global Climate Action Agenda, designed to bring businesses and other real-economy actors closer to the climate process.
He urged world leaders to ensure that the conference delivered both a strong negotiated outcome and meaningful results under the Action Agenda.