The chairs are barely warm in Antalya, Turkey, and the pressure is already on. COP31, the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has officially opened in the city, and the central message coming out of the gathering is clear: countries need to actually follow through on the climate commitments they have already made.
The source material is limited, but the signal is pointed. Rather than piling new pledges onto an already crowded table, this year's conference appears focused on accountability, pushing nations to deliver on what they signed up for in previous rounds of negotiations.
For African countries, that distinction matters enormously. The continent contributes the least to global emissions yet absorbs some of the heaviest consequences, from erratic rainfall patterns to coastal erosion to food insecurity. Every unfulfilled pledge from a wealthier nation lands hardest here.
Whether Antalya produces the kind of firm, verifiable action plans that move the needle remains to be seen. Watch this space.
Originally published by BusinessDay.