By Abbas Nazil
The European Union (EU) has approved its negotiating positions ahead of the upcoming United Nations climate change and biodiversity conferences, calling for urgent, science-based action to limit global warming, accelerate the transition from fossil fuels and halt biodiversity loss.
The positions, adopted by the Council of the European Union on Monday, October 12, emphasise the need to translate international environmental commitments into concrete action through stronger global cooperation and effective implementation of existing agreements.
The decisions come ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, and the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), scheduled for October 19 to 30 in Yerevan, Armenia.
The Council said the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and ecosystem degradation require coordinated international responses, with governments expected to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
On climate change, EU ministers acknowledged that the global temperature limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is likely to be temporarily exceeded, but called for immediate action to minimise further warming and return to the 1.5-degree trajectory in line with scientific evidence.
The bloc identified an approach of exceeding the temperature limit temporarily, reaching a peak and subsequently reducing global temperatures as the best remaining pathway to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
At COP31, the EU will push for the effective implementation of national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement, known as nationally determined contributions, and urge countries that have yet to submit their plans to do so promptly.
The bloc will also advocate for the implementation of previous global climate decisions, including transitioning away from fossil fuels and accelerating the adoption of clean energy, with electrification playing an important role.
According to the Council, climate mitigation and adaptation must advance together, as strengthening resilience to climate impacts is essential for protecting societies, economies and communities.
The EU also stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation through the United Nations climate framework, calling for the participation of all its member states at COP31 and reaffirming solidarity among them.
On biodiversity, the EU will call for faster implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, which established targets for addressing biodiversity loss, including protecting at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and marine areas by 2030.
The bloc intends to promote the integration of biodiversity protection into policies and activities across economic sectors and society, with decisions guided by scientific evidence.
It will also advocate increased public and private financing for biodiversity conservation, including the exploration of innovative funding mechanisms such as high-integrity nature credits.
Ireland’s Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, said COP31 must become a turning point in converting climate commitments into practical results, highlighting the need for coordinated international action to strengthen climate resilience and accelerate the clean energy transition.
Ireland’s Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, also stressed that the EU would maintain its existing level of ambition on biodiversity and push for faster global implementation of agreed targets.
The Council’s decisions establish the EU’s negotiating framework for the two conferences, where governments will face renewed pressure to demonstrate progress on climate action, ecosystem protection and international environmental cooperation.
