The Antalya climate conference begins Monday as new UN findings show that public financing covers only a fraction of the cost of preparing for worsening climate hazards

ANTALYA, Türkiye — International News Service – Governments will open the COP31 climate conference Monday under pressure to close a vast financing gap between what developing countries need to withstand climate change and what wealthier nations provide.

The formal opening is scheduled for 10 a.m. local time at the Antalya EXPO Center. Negotiations will continue through Nov. 20, with heads of state and government due to meet Nov. 11 and 12 under the theme “Towards a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future.” UN Climate Change describes the annual conference as the only multilateral climate decision-making forum that brings together almost every country.

A new UN Environment Programme assessment estimates that developing countries will require about US$305 billion annually for adaptation by 2035. The calculation largely excludes private-sector needs, which UNEP says could nearly double the total.

International public adaptation finance from developed to developing countries reached only $28.2 billion to $31.7 billion in 2024. That was an increase of roughly $1 billion from the previous year, but the pace of growth has slowed.

Countries agreed at COP30 to work toward tripling adaptation finance by 2035. UNEP estimates that meeting that aspiration would raise annual flows to between $85 billion and $120 billion, depending on the baseline used. After inflation, that would cover just 20% to 29% of projected needs.

The shortfall is especially severe for least-developed countries and small-island states, where adaptation costs represent a greater share of national income. Governments are seeking financing for flood protection, drought-resistant agriculture, heat-response systems, stronger infrastructure and early-warning networks.

COP31 will also consider climate-finance implementation, adaptation indicators, emissions-cutting work and measures supporting workers and communities affected by the shift away from high-carbon industries.

The talks begin after another year of severe weather and rapidly rising temperatures. The Associated Press reported that Europe’s Copernicus climate service expects 2026 to become the second calendar year in which the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 C above the pre-industrial level. A single year above that mark does not, by itself, mean the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature threshold has been formally crossed.

Sources: UNFCCC conference portal · Official leaders’ summit notice · UNEP Adaptation Gap findings