Addis Abeba — Ethiopia is using its participation in the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which opened on Monday in Antalya, Türkiye, to advance preparations for hosting COP32 in Addis Abeba in November 2027, as developing countries push for stronger climate finance commitments amid widening disagreements over how to address the climate crisis.
Foreign Affairs Minister Gedion Timothewos, who is also president-designate of COP32, said Ethiopia's engagement at COP31 would help establish the groundwork for a successful summit next year. Speaking about Ethiopia's participation, the state-affiliated ENA reported that Gedion outlined plans to work closely with Türkiye and Australia, which are jointly overseeing COP31, to strengthen negotiations, expand partnerships and build international participation ahead of the Addis Abeba conference.
Ethiopia has opened its official pavilion in Antalya to showcase its climate mitigation efforts and engage with international partners. Gedion, who arrived in Türkiye on 8 November, is also expected to hold discussions with the COP31 presidency, negotiating groups and participating countries as Ethiopia seeks to ensure a smooth transition to its hosting responsibilities, ENA reported.
However, the opening of COP31 has exposed persistent divisions over climate finance, a central concern for African countries and other developing nations facing increasingly severe climate impacts.
According to AFP, negotiations over the conference agenda extended into Sunday night as developing countries pushed for greater attention to financial commitments from wealthier nations. Although a climate finance work programme was included, African countries' demand to make the tripling of adaptation finance a standalone agenda item was not accepted.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged governments to accelerate emissions reductions, advance a transition away from fossil fuels and deliver the financing needed by vulnerable countries, warning that the world had entered a new era of climate extremes.
The disagreements highlight the challenges Ethiopia will inherit as COP32 host. While Addis Abeba is seeking to position the 2027 summit around implementation, international cooperation and climate action, its success will depend partly on whether longstanding disputes over financing, adaptation and fossil fuel transitions make meaningful progress at COP31.
For Ethiopia, the Antalya conference is therefore more than a diplomatic appearance; it is an early opportunity to build the trust, partnerships and negotiating experience needed to steer the next global climate summit.
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