Developing countries sought an annual climate adaptation funding target of $120 billion well before 2035, Ghana's delegation said at the COP31 climate talks in Antalya in remarks published Nov. 13.
The baseline for a pledge to triple adaptation finance remained unresolved. Developing countries wanted grants rather than loans to avoid adding to their debts while preparing for climate damage.
The delegation outlined its government's priorities at a Ghana press conference carried by Reuters. Adaptation funding supports measures such as protecting infrastructure, agriculture and water supplies against climate change.
The previous year's decision called for efforts to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035 without specifying a baseline. Developing countries proposed tripling an earlier doubling target to reach the annual sum.
“We do not want to continue receiving loans to be able to adapt to a crisis we do not cause,” the delegation said.
A second dispute concerned the technical task force preparing methods and supporting information for adaptation indicators, measures used to track countries' progress in preparing for climate change.
The delegation said 11 targets adopted in Dubai covered adaptation sectors and work including risk assessments, planning, implementation and monitoring. Developed countries wanted an expert-only task force, while developing countries sought government oversight to secure African representation.
Asked about an electrification target, the delegation identified energy access, room for industrial development and technology development as African priorities. It did not give an explicit endorsement or conditions for supporting the target.
Ahead of COP32, developing countries wanted a clear funding delivery pathway so they could track payments. They also sought agreement in Antalya on the baseline and the use of public grants.
The delegation cited a United Nations Environment Programme assessment that warming would exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius. It argued that interconnected supply chains meant vulnerability in developing countries also affected developed economies.
Tripling finance would cover only about 30% of developing countries' adaptation needs, the delegation said, citing recent adaptation gap assessments. It described the target as a minimum rather than a limit.
The Loss and Damage Fund, which supports countries facing climate-related losses, was operational and had invited applications. The delegation put its initial funding call at about $200 million, with limits on individual countries' requests.
Available money would not cover all applicants, the delegation said. Ghana sought simpler application procedures, faster access for communities facing emergencies and payment of developed countries' pledges.
The delegation wanted grants from that fund too. It supported countries maintaining their own emergency funds alongside the international system, while arguing against borrowing that increased national debt to cover climate damage.
On the adaptation baseline, developed countries wanted discussions under the climate finance work programme and resisted negotiations on the amount within the adaptation talks, the delegation said. No agreement had emerged.
On trade, Ghana welcomed agreement on government-led dialogues and a report in 2028. The delegation said some climate-related trade measures restricted African countries' ability to finance development, industrialise and pursue climate action.
Ghana also sought faster, more accessible technical assistance through the Santiago Network, which helps countries address climate-related losses. The supplied remarks ended before the delegation completed its explanation of that priority.
