EU climate diplomacy reset

The geopolitical context for climate diplomacy keeps evolving rapidly, with the war in the Middle East being only the latest example of a more fragmented and uncertain global environment. At the same time, the European Union (EU) is redefining its international position, including its geoeconomic interests, amid aid budget cuts, rising fossil fuel prices and strains in traditional alliances.

Against this backdrop, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) remains one of the few truly global forums for multilateral cooperation. The tasks ahead, however, are significant, and progress will depend on strengthening cooperation, building confidence in the feasibility of climate action, and rebuilding trust among partners.

The EU can show the way. It has decided to engage in a reset of its climate diplomacy to: re-engage with old and new partners on the basis of mutually beneficial partnerships based on shared economic and political interests, trust and predictability; preserve an efficient multilateralism based on the respect of international law and cooperation. 

Core objectives

1. The EU further strengthens its economic cooperation and partnerships to ensure more countries can benefit from the growing global clean transformation.
2. The EU develops a multi-year climate finance strategy ensuring that European public and private finance supports global transformation investments in a strategic and impactful way.
3. The EU actively contributes to the effective implementation of the energy transition goals agreed at COP28 in Dubai, aiming to have coal and oil demand peak and begin to decline by 2030, and to ensure universal access to energy (SDG7) is within reach.
4. The EU preserves the COP as a 'big tent' space for advancing effective climate action in a collaborative, highly visible way with a clear focus on the political arc for the second global stocktake (2028-2030) and implementation.
5. The EU can already now start preparing for COP33 in 2028, when the second Global Stocktake (GST2) could result in a new set of goals that are based on the latest science and inform the next round of NDCs.

Priorities for COP31

COP31 will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, and Australia will support the preparation of the negotiations. Whilst a few topics on negotiations need to be advanced, no major political outcome is expected for this year as Parties will mostly negotiate the operationalisation of ongoing processes. With key goals, such as global access to energy, tripling renewable energy or doubling energy efficiency currently off track, an emphasis can be put on how the voluntary initiatives featured in the non-negotiation space (the “Action Agenda”) can deliver significant and concrete results on these goals by 2030. This COP can thus focus on solidarity and cooperation on the just, equitable and orderly energy transition.