COP31: No more promises. Let’s plan the end of fossil fuels.

The climate crisis does not wait for politicians to agree. While governments negotiate, people across Europe and around the world are already living with the consequences of global heating: devastating floods, deadly heatwaves, wildfires and droughts. Every year, the damage becomes harder to ignore.

Yet the solutions are within reach. Renewable energy is growing. Clean technologies are creating new jobs. Communities are finding ways to become more resilient. We know what needs to happen. What we need now is the political courage to make it happen, at the speed and scale the climate crisis demands.

As the world prepares for COP31, the United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November, we have one clear message: No more promises. Let’s plan the end of fossil fuels.

Five years of climate promises. Now it’s time to deliver.

For five years, the Greens/EFA Group has pushed for stronger climate action at the annual UN climate conferences. We have called for the 1.5°C goal to remain at the heart of the Paris Agreement, for governments to cut emissions faster, and for those most responsible for the climate crisis to take responsibility.

At COP26 in Glasgow, we warned that big words and vague promises were not enough. The world needed real climate action this decade, binding measures and climate justice for those already suffering the consequences of global heating.
At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the fight for climate justice continued. The establishment of a loss and damage fund was a long-overdue step towards supporting countries hit hardest by a crisis they did little to cause.
At COP28 in Dubai, we welcomed a historic breakthrough: for the first time, countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in their energy systems. We also called for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an end to fossil fuel subsidies and a rapid expansion of renewable energy.
At COP29 in Baku, we demanded that governments turn these commitments into binding measures and deliver the climate finance needed to make them real.
And at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, we warned that a global commitment to phase out fossil fuels remained dangerously ambiguous. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the world still lacked a clear roadmap to end its dependence on coal, oil and gas.

The direction is clear. But the pace is far too slow.

COP31 must turn the fossil fuel promise into a plan

The biggest obstacle to climate action is no longer a lack of solutions. It is our continued dependence on fossil fuels and the political power of the industries that profit from them.

Coal, oil and gas are driving global heating. They also leave Europe vulnerable to geopolitical crises, price shocks and the decisions of fossil fuel exporters.

We do not have to accept this dependence as our future.

COP31 must take the next decisive step. Governments must agree on a credible global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, with clear timelines and concrete measures.

That means:

Binding national plans to phase out coal, oil and gas, with clear deadlines and milestones.
An end to fossil fuel subsidies that use public money to keep polluting industries alive.
A rapid expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, so clean energy becomes the affordable and reliable choice everywhere.
A fair transition for workers and communities, with investment, training and good green jobs.
Climate finance that reaches the countries and communities that need it most.

These are not radical demands. They are the minimum needed to turn the promises made in Paris and at previous COPs into reality.

A fossil-free future means energy independence and lower bills

Climate action is not just about protecting the planet. It is about improving people’s lives.

When we replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, we reduce our dependence on imported gas and oil. When we insulate homes and make buildings more energy efficient, people need less energy and pay lower bills. When we invest in clean public transport, people gain more affordable ways to get around.

A fossil-free future can mean cleaner air, healthier communities, more secure energy supplies and new opportunities for European industry.

Europe has the technology, the skills and the economic power to lead this transformation. But leadership means more than setting targets. It means investing in the solutions, building the infrastructure and ensuring that the benefits reach everyone.

The European Union must stop weakening its own climate policies while asking the rest of the world to do more. We cannot demand climate leadership abroad while stepping backwards at home.

Climate justice: Making polluters pay

The climate crisis is profoundly unfair.

Those who have contributed least to global heating are often the ones facing the most devastating consequences. Countries in the Global South are dealing with floods, droughts, rising sea levels and extreme heat, despite having contributed far less to the emissions causing the crisis.

Climate finance is not charity. It is a matter of responsibility and justice.

At COP31, wealthy countries must deliver on their climate finance commitments and provide more accessible, predictable funding for adaptation, loss and damage, and the transition to clean energy.

This means grants and fair financial support, not loans that push vulnerable countries deeper into debt.

It also means making polluters pay. The fossil fuel industry has made enormous profits while contributing to a crisis that threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions. Those profits must not come at the expense of our future.

A just transition is how we make climate action work for everyone

The green transition must not leave anyone behind.

Workers in carbon-intensive industries deserve more than promises that new jobs will appear. They need investment in their regions, opportunities to retrain and a real say in the future of their communities.

Families struggling with energy costs need support to make their homes more efficient and access affordable clean energy.

Young people deserve to inherit a world where they can build their lives without the constant threat of climate disaster.

A just transition is not an obstacle to climate action. It is what makes climate action fair, durable and politically possible.

Europe needs better pesticide rules, not weaker ones

We agree that the current system can be improved. But the answer is not to remove important safety checks. Scientific assessments can take too long. National authorities need more resources. New evidence must be considered quickly. And farmers need access to safer alternatives.

But that should mean strengthening the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), giving national authorities the resources they need and improving cooperation between countries. We need to invest in the people and organisations responsible for protecting our health and environment. Digital tools and more standardised procedures can also help make assessments faster and more efficient.

The goal is clear: a system that works better, responds faster and keeps strong protections in place.

COP31: Let’s turn the page

We know the climate crisis is urgent. We know the solutions exist. And we know that every fraction of a degree of warming we avoid matters.

The world cannot afford another climate conference that ends with vague language, delayed action and promises to do better next time.

COP31 must be the moment governments move from managing fossil fuel dependence to planning its end.

We need a global roadmap with deadlines. We need funding that matches the scale of the challenge. We need an EU that leads by example. And we need a transition that creates a better future for people everywhere.

The future is not something we simply wait for. It is something we build together.

By 2050, we should be able to look back and say: we left fossil fuels in the ground.

That is the future we are fighting for. And COP31 must help make it happen.