Antalya, Türkiye – President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for fair carbon-market returns and more accessible climate financing as leaders at the COP31 climate conference pressed for international commitments to become investments that protect communities and support development.
Addressing the meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 11, she put financing, equitable energy access and climate-resilient development at the centre of Tanzania’s priorities.
She said prolonged droughts, unpredictable rainfall and rising seas were contributing to climate shocks estimated to cost the country approximately two to three per cent of its gross domestic product annually.
“Developing countries require increased grants and concessional financing, particularly for climate adaptation, together with technology transfer and capacity building,” she said.
The call formed part of a wider push to accelerate implementation, rather than reopen previous agreements, as speakers warned that climate disasters and unstable energy markets were raising household costs and straining government budgets.
Community returns
President Samia identified carbon-market opportunities in transport, waste management, renewable energy and forests, which she said cover approximately 48.1 million hectares.
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She called for transparent arrangements under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which provides for countries to cooperate in achieving their climate commitments, including through carbon trading.
“What we need is a transparent carbon market mechanism under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to guarantee fair carbon pricing, equitable benefit sharing and environmental integrity,” she said, adding that the system should increase resources for community action and national development.
Her emphasis on community benefits placed the distribution of carbon revenues alongside environmental safeguards. She also urged recognition of countries’ different development needs and capabilities when setting expectations for climate action.
On energy, she called for affordable financing, private investment and technology transfer to support Tanzania’s national energy compact and expand electricity access, especially in rural areas. She defined energy justice as equitable access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
She linked climate-resilient development to the country’s 25-year development vision, including equipping young people with skills and jobs in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and climate-friendly industries.
The financing issue has a substantial domestic scale. Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan for 2025–2035, submitted in November 2025, estimates approximately US$37 billion for 36 programmes, including agricultural water security, climate-resilient infrastructure and stronger water and sanitation services.
Adaptation means reducing exposure and damage from climate impacts, rather than only cutting the emissions that cause warming. The plan covers needs on both the Mainland and Zanzibar.
Finance into projects
UN climate chief Simon Stiell told leaders that national climate plans should become practical projects that create jobs, strengthen economies and ease pressures on households. He called for electrification, tripling adaptation finance and improved access to funding.
“But action is not yet fast enough,” he said. “And it’s not yet fair enough.”
He argued that clean energy could protect economies from fossil-fuel price volatility, while disaster resilience would protect people and the supply chains on which economies depend.
UN General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman urged financing that, as far as possible, would not create additional debt. He called for simpler procedures and funding decisions based on vulnerability, rather than income alone, alongside recognition of forest communities’ contribution to protecting the climate.
Australia’s Chris Bowen, the president of negotiations, called for funding to become faster, simpler and fairer, allowing countries to turn climate and adaptation plans into investable projects. He also promoted the “35 by 35” pledge to raise electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, not a target for electricity generation alone.
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COP31 President Murat Kurum proposed a Climate Implementation Bridge to connect national plans with projects, financing and technology. He warned that years spent seeking funding, or financing that creates unsustainable debt, would undermine implementation.
El Niño warning
The financing debate came alongside a warning from World Meteorological Organisation Secretary-General Celeste Saulo that an exceptionally strong El Niño was adding to rising temperatures and intensifying weather risks.
“Now, a very strong El Niño is here, the strongest since at least 1950,” she said. Its effects on global temperatures typically peak the following year, she explained, making 2027 likely to set a new temperature record.
Saulo said the number of countries with early-warning systems had more than doubled over the past decade and that disaster deaths were six times lower where those systems were strong.
She urged investment in observation networks, forecasters and warning systems, noting that places with the greatest gaps were often among those hardest hit.
Bowen said he and Kurum would take forward a presidency decision shaped by participating countries. The conference is scheduled to conclude on November 20.
“Let COP31 mark a turning point from promises to delivery, from ambition to action, and from commitments to measurable results,” President Samia said.
