BONN — Government delegates, technical experts and representatives of international organizations meeting in Bonn this week focused on advancing climate negotiations and preparing key elements of the agenda for the next United Nations climate summit, known as COP31, scheduled for November in Antalya, Türkiye. The meetings, formally the 64th sessions of the subsidiary bodies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), began on June 8 and are due to run through June 18.
The Bonn sessions are widely regarded as the main mid-year negotiating forum where countries work through technical issues before annual COP talks. According to the UNFCCC, the discussions are intended to advance work on climate action and help lay the groundwork for decisions expected later this year at COP31.
Negotiators have been reviewing a range of issues, including implementation of previous climate commitments, adaptation measures, climate finance, loss and damage, and support for national climate plans. Organizations participating in the meetings said the talks are also examining ways to move from agreed goals toward practical implementation.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said ahead of the meetings that delegates would gather in Bonn “for an important and constructive session, at a crucial time for climate multilateralism,” according to a UNFCCC statement.
Several countries and observer groups have used the meetings to highlight priorities for the upcoming summit. India raised concerns about what it described as declining levels of climate finance and called for stronger multilateral cooperation, according to statements reported during the conference.
The COP31 presidency also announced a target aimed at increasing electrification through clean energy sources by 2035, a development presented during discussions in Bonn as governments considered pathways for accelerating emissions reductions and energy transition efforts.
UN agencies and research organizations attending the conference said the meetings are helping shape negotiations on adaptation, resilience, climate technology, and implementation of nationally determined contributions, the climate plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement.
As of Friday, negotiations and side events were continuing at the World Conference Center Bonn. The UNFCCC said the sessions remain focused on advancing technical work and identifying areas of progress before delegates reconvene at COP31 later this year.
