From Indonesia’s nickel-rich industrial centres to the rice fields of the Mekong Delta and the vulnerable coastlines of the Philippines, the climate choices being debated in Antalya have consequences far beyond Türkiye. As the world gathers for COP31 from 9 to 20 November 2026, Southeast Asian countries are seeking to turn their climate commitments into practical action—while ensuring that the transition to a cleaner economy is fair, affordable and resilient.
Held at the ANFAŞ Antalya Expo Center, COP31 brings together governments and other stakeholders under an unusual leadership arrangement: Türkiye hosts the conference, with Environment Minister Murat Kurum serving as COP President, while Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen chairs the negotiations. The partnership reflects a shared effort to move climate diplomacy from declarations towards implementation.
Antalya’s Push to Turn Climate Promises into Action
The summit’s central challenge is familiar but increasingly urgent: countries have made climate commitments, yet emissions reductions and adaptation efforts remain insufficient to protect communities from escalating climate risks. Türkiye has framed COP31 as an implementation-focused conference, placing electrification, clean energy, resilient cities, food security, oceans, green industry and zero waste among its priorities.
Murat Kurum has called for a stronger connection between international decisions and the everyday realities of communities. At the opening ceremony, he said: “Climate policy is also development policy. It is food policy. It is energy policy. It is urban policy.” His message reflects the growing recognition that climate action cannot be separated from economic development, public health, infrastructure and livelihoods.
ASEAN Brings a Regional Voice to Antalya
For Southeast Asia, COP31 is also an opportunity to strengthen its collective presence in global climate diplomacy. ASEAN has once again established a dedicated pavilion in the conference’s Blue Zone, making it the bloc’s second appearance with a regional platform at a UN climate summit. Supported by the European Union and Germany, the pavilion brings together member states, development partners, researchers and other stakeholders to showcase initiatives and build cooperation on climate finance, energy transition, nature-based solutions and resilience.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn described the pavilion as a place for regional cooperation, saying: “This Pavilion will serve as an inclusive space for dialogue and collaboration throughout COP31.” The message reflects a practical reality: climate risks do not stop at national borders. Flooding in one country can disrupt regional supply chains, while drought and changing rainfall patterns can affect food prices and agricultural production across the region.
Indonesia is also using the conference to present its climate priorities. Its national pavilion, opened on 9 November, carries the message Indonesia Delivering Climate Solutions at Scale, highlighting climate resilience, collaboration and the country's pathway towards net-zero emissions. Environment Minister Moh Jumhur Hidayat has stressed that the transition must go beyond emissions reduction, creating economic opportunities, expanding energy access and improving community welfare.
Electrification Opens New Opportunities for Southeast Asia
One of the most prominent themes in Antalya is electrification. Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency has promoted the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, compared with around 20 per cent today. The proposal focuses on accelerating the electrification of transport, buildings and industry, supported by modern power grids.
The agenda has direct implications for Southeast Asia, where the clean-technology transition is creating new industrial opportunities. Indonesia is a major player in the global nickel supply chain, producing an estimated 2.6 million tonnes of mined nickel in 2025 out of approximately 3.9 million tonnes worldwide. Thailand, meanwhile, is expanding its electric vehicle market, while Vietnam and Malaysia are developing their roles in regional clean-energy manufacturing.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Southeast Asia’s electric-car manufacturing capacity could rise from around one million vehicles in 2025 to 1.8 million by 2030. Battery-cell manufacturing capacity, estimated at approximately 40 gigawatt-hours in 2025, could also exceed 100 gigawatt-hours by 2030 if announced projects proceed. These developments offer opportunities for investment, technology transfer, employment and stronger regional supply chains.
Yet electrification must be accompanied by cleaner electricity generation. The IEA reports that coal accounted for 47 per cent of Southeast Asia’s electricity generation in 2025, up from 37 per cent in 2015. Electricity demand is also projected to grow by an average of 5.4 per cent annually between 2026 and 2030. Without faster investment in renewable energy, storage and interconnected power grids, the benefits of electric vehicles and other electrified technologies could be limited by continued dependence on fossil fuels.
For ASEAN, therefore, the challenge is not simply to electrify more sectors, but to make that electricity cleaner, more affordable and accessible. Regional cooperation through initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid could help connect renewable energy resources across borders and support a more reliable regional energy system.
Food Security and Coastal Resilience Cannot Wait
The climate debate in Antalya is unfolding against a worsening global outlook. The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) COP31 update reported that the global average surface temperature from January to September 2026 was approximately 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average. It also warned that the past 12 years, from 2015 to 2026, are set to be the warmest on record, with rising sea levels and ocean heat adding to the risks.
These developments are particularly concerning for Southeast Asia, where agriculture, fisheries and coastal communities are highly exposed to changing weather patterns. In Vietnam, the Mekong Delta—responsible for around 90 per cent of the country’s rice exports—faces increasing pressure from drought and saltwater intrusion. A 2025 research study found that salinity and drought stress directly accounted for approximately a quarter of paddy-field losses in the delta, excluding land converted to urban uses.
Food security concerns are also heightened by the developing El Niño event. The World Food Programme estimates that the 2026–2027 episode could push at least 49 million additional people into acute food insecurity worldwide by the end of 2027. Its analysis also warns that Asia and the Pacific could see an additional 8.2 million people facing acute hunger. For countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam, this reinforces the importance of climate-resilient agriculture, reliable irrigation, early-warning systems and stronger support for smallholder farmers.
Coastal protection is equally important. Indonesia and the Philippines, with their extensive coastlines and island communities, face risks from rising seas, coastal flooding and stronger climate-related hazards. Timor-Leste and other vulnerable coastal states also need resources to protect settlements, infrastructure and livelihoods. The prominence of Pacific Island concerns in the COP31 process, including Australia's role in leading negotiations alongside Türkiye's presidency, creates an important opportunity to connect the experiences of Pacific and Southeast Asian countries.
However, adaptation requires more than political recognition. UNEP’s 2026 Adaptation Gap Report estimates that developing countries will need around US$305 billion annually by 2035 to meet adaptation needs. International public adaptation finance reached only US$28.2–31.7 billion in 2024. Even if current international public adaptation finance were tripled by 2035, it would cover only around 20–29 per cent of estimated needs. This financing gap is especially significant for developing countries that must invest in flood protection, resilient infrastructure, mangrove restoration and disaster preparedness while managing other development priorities.
From Regional Commitments to Everyday Change
COP31 offers Southeast Asia an opportunity to connect its climate priorities with the wider global agenda. ASEAN’s pavilion provides a platform for shared advocacy, while national initiatives—from Indonesia’s energy transition to Vietnam’s climate-resilient agriculture and the Philippines’ disaster preparedness—demonstrate how regional action can take different forms.
The summit will continue in Antalya until 20 November, giving negotiators and participating countries more time to work towards stronger cooperation and practical outcomes. For Southeast Asia, the measure of success will not simply be the number of declarations made, but whether the discussions lead to cleaner energy, more secure food systems, better protection for coastal communities and climate finance that reaches those most exposed to risk.
Ultimately, the climate future of Southeast Asia will be shaped not only in international conference halls, but also in its cities, villages, farms, factories and coastal communities. COP31 can help bring those realities into the global conversation—and turn regional ambition into action that people can see and experience.
