COP31 opened in Antalya on Nov. 9 with developing countries’ adaptation financing needs in focus and the United States still bound by the U.N. climate treaty after its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates developing countries will need $305 billion annually by 2035 for adaptation. International public adaptation finance from developed to developing countries was between $28.2 billion and $31.7 billion in 2024.
At COP29, countries set a broader goal of providing developing countries $300 billion a year by 2035, up from a previous $100 billion annual goal. The target covers climate finance more broadly than UNEP’s adaptation estimate, so the figures describe different funding needs.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) records Jan. 27, 2026, as the effective date of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. A separate notice from the U.N. depositary says the U.S. withdrawal from the parent convention was effected on Feb. 27, 2026, and takes effect Feb. 27, 2027. The United States remains a party to the UNFCCC during COP31.
The Council on Foreign Relations and Just Security report that the U.S. government is not sending an official negotiating delegation. No official U.S. announcement confirming the absence was located. Separately, America Is All In, the U.S. Climate Alliance and Climate Mayors announced plans for more than 120 U.S. state, local and cross-sector leaders to attend. Palo Alto, California, Mayor Vicki Veenker said, “When Washington steps back, we step up.”
The announcement comes alongside a separate planned congressional visit covered in EconoTimes’ earlier report on lawmakers’ COP31 plans and treaty exits.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell urged countries to improve the flow of adaptation funding and address obstacles to money already available. “COP31 must supercharge solutions,” he said in his opening statement. The talks are scheduled to run through Nov. 20.
