At the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP31), taking place in Turkey, world leaders are discussing ways to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, expand climate financing, and protect countries from the consequences of global warming. For Uzbekistan, these negotiations are particularly important against the backdrop of growing electricity demand, limited water resources, and the need to adapt the economy to climate change.
One of the key events on November 11 was the opening of the COP31 Leaders' Summit, where UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on states to move from stated climate commitments to their practical implementation.
According to Guterres, global greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels in 2025, and current national climate plans are insufficient to limit global warming to the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement. Guterres warned that exceeding this temperature threshold is now inevitable, although the duration and scale of the exceedance will depend on government actions.
For Central Asia, where climate change intensifies pressure on water resources, agriculture, and energy infrastructure, the task is not only to reduce emissions but also to strengthen economies' ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Financing climate action in developing countries remains one of the central issues at COP31. Speaking at the Leaders' Summit, António Guterres emphasized the need to turn the global goal of mobilizing $1.3 trillion by 2035 into actual financial flows. He also called on developed countries to fulfill their commitment to provide at least $300 billion annually by 2035 and to develop concrete plans to triple adaptation financing.
The UN Secretary-General drew attention to the uneven distribution of clean energy investments. According to figures provided by him, developing countries outside of China, which is home to nearly two-thirds of the world's population, receive less than one-fifth of global investments in this sector. Meanwhile, borrowing costs for many of these countries are two to three times higher.
Access to long-term financing is critically important for Uzbekistan. Modernizing power grids, expanding renewable energy, improving irrigation efficiency, and developing climate-resilient infrastructure require significant investment. However, announced international financial goals do not guarantee automatic allocation of funds to individual countries; the practical significance of the negotiations will depend on agreed financing mechanisms, the availability of loans and grants, and the ability of developing economies to effectively utilize these tools.
Another priority at COP31 is increasing the use of electricity in transport, industry, and buildings. At a joint press conference on November 10, COP31 leaders introduced the Global Electrification Pact, known as '35 by 35,' which aims to increase the share of electricity in total final energy consumption from the current 23% to 35% by 2035.
COP31 negotiation chair Chris Bowen noted that achieving this goal will require more than a fourfold acceleration of electrification rates. According to Bowen, conference participants are also discussing how relevant provisions can be reflected in the final COP31 decision.
UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change Simon Stiel highlighted the economic benefits of transitioning to clean energy. Citing data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), he stated that 90% of large-scale renewable energy projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.
For Uzbekistan, the global electrification agenda is especially relevant as the country increases solar and wind energy production, develops energy storage systems, and modernizes its electrical grids. Nevertheless, increasing installed capacity is only one aspect of the energy transition; equally important are the grid's ability to integrate energy from various sources, load balancing, energy efficiency improvement, and supply reliability.
The global '35 by 35' goal does not currently establish a separate national obligation for Uzbekistan, but it reflects the direction of international energy policy that may influence investment priorities and technological development in the coming decade.
Parallel to the energy transition, COP31 leaders are paying significant attention to adapting to the consequences of global warming. COP31 Chair Murat Kurum stated that adaptation, as well as loss and damage, must remain at the center of the conference's climate agenda. António Guterres, in turn, called for protecting populations from droughts, floods, and other climate-related threats, expanding early warning systems, and supporting the development of new generations of national adaptation plans.
The importance of these efforts is also underscored by new data presented by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Antalya on November 9. According to preliminary estimates by the organization, the average global temperature from January to September 2026 was approximately 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels. WMO also reported that the last 12 years were the warmest on record.
For Uzbekistan, rising temperatures are directly linked to risks of worsening water shortages, increased irrigation needs, and additional strain on infrastructure. The transboundary nature of Central Asian water resources is paramount. Ensuring water supply depends not only on national water conservation measures but also on regional cooperation, the quality of hydrometeorological forecasts, and the ability of countries to jointly respond to prolonged droughts.
Under these circumstances, international climate finance could potentially support the modernization of irrigation systems, the implementation of water-saving technologies, the improvement of water resource monitoring, and the development of early warning mechanisms. However, the realization of such projects requires not only financial commitments from international partners but also the existence of specific national programs with measurable results.
The practical significance of the negotiations in Antalya for Uzbekistan can be understood through several interconnected priorities. The first is access to climate finance under terms that allow for the implementation of long-term infrastructure projects without excessively increasing the country's debt burden. The second is the creation of an energy system capable of meeting growing electricity demand while simultaneously reducing emissions and increasing resilience to external risks. The third is enhanced international support for climate change adaptation, especially in the areas of water resource management, agriculture, and protecting the population from extreme weather events.
Furthermore, climate negotiations have a regional dimension for Central Asia. Changes in temperature regimes, water availability, and energy development are closely interconnected and therefore require coordinated solutions that go beyond individual national strategies. COP31 is still ongoing, and the final outcomes of the negotiations have not yet been determined. The initiatives and statements of the conference leaders indicate the direction of the discussions, but they do not replace formally agreed decisions by participating countries. For Uzbekistan, the ultimate measure of COP31's success will not be the number of new international declarations, but the ability to transform them into accessible financing, technological cooperation, and concrete projects that strengthen the country's water and energy security.
