Bright kente prints and the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee are cutting through the convention hall air in Antalya, but it is what lies beneath African soil that has everyone quietly leaning in. Africa has arrived at COP31 with its culture on full display and its critical minerals firmly on the table.
Those minerals may turn out to be the most consequential thing Africa brings to the negotiations. The continent holds some of the largest reserves of the raw materials the global clean energy transition depends on, and delegates know it. Diplomatic goodwill is nice, but lithium, cobalt, and manganese have a way of sharpening a conversation.
The mood from African delegations carries a new kind of confidence this time around. The pitch is no longer simply about climate vulnerability or aid. It is about leverage, and what a fair exchange actually looks like when you are sitting on the resources the rest of the world urgently needs.
Watch this space. The bargaining has only just begun.
Originally published by AllAfrica.