WHAT ABOUT COP31? FT. BULA COP31! (PART TWO)

This is part two of our collaboration with Bula COP31! We recommend listening to part one first.  

This November, Türkiye hosts COP31 with Australia leading the negotiations. In this cross-continental episode, James and Daisy are joined by Jack Whelan and Heidi Dumesich (hosts of Bula COP31!) for an intergenerational conversation on what we hope to see from this year’s conference. What will make it onto the Action Agenda? What is the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty? And what should the COP31 closing speech say? 

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• BulaCOP31! – To learn more about what it means for Australia and Türkiye to co-host COP31, listen to Jack and Heidi’s podcast.

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• COP31 – Türkiye will be the formal COP31 President while Australia will serve as the President of Negotiations.
• COP30 (2026) – The Action Agenda is the space for actors who do not negotiate, but who are essential for implementation. The COP30 Action Agenda was organized around six thematic pillars and the “Five Year Vision” established a framework to guide the acceleration of Paris Agreement implementation between 2026 and 2030. 
• Climate Watch – 62 countries have yet to submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Pacific Resilience Facility – The first Pacific-led, member-owned and managed regional financing facility. 
• The Guardian (2026) – A leaked draft of the COP31 Action Agenda includes 14 items but omits mention of fossil fuel phaseout, prioritising “zero waste” and “tourism and cultural heritage” instead.
• Dialogue Earth (2025) – Türkiye is one of the world’s largest electric arc furnace steel producers and Australia is the world’s biggest iron ore exporter.
• Ember – In 2024, Türkiye’s renewable electricity generation (156 TWh) outpaced Australia’s (98.8 TWh).
• The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative – An alliance of nation-states and civil society working to secure a global just transition from coal, oil and gas. 18 nations have already joined. 
• UN – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
• Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels – Colombia and the Netherlands will co-host this conference in Santa Marta (24-29 April 2026) as a space for countries, subnational governments and other stakeholders that recognize the need to implement a transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner, in line with climate goals and the best available science.
• IEA (2025) – Fossil fuels still comprised 10% of Colombia’s GDP and 45% of total exports in 2024. 
• The Belém Declaration – An agreement supported by 35+ countries aiming to accelerate green industrialization.
• Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) – The flagship publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on UN environment and development negotiations. 
• UNFCCC – Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables international cooperation to tackle climate change and to unlock financial support for developing countries.
• COP30 (2026) – In this letter, COP30 President Corrêa do Lago proposes a “two-tier” model for multilateralism: one anchored in consensus, and one focused on implementation.
• WEF (2026) – Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, made a special address at Davos: “We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn't mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy, but we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just.”

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.