Singapore environment minister Grace Fu expects climate negotiations at COP31 to be tougher than before

SINGAPORE: As she headed to the most important climate conference of the year, Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, spoke to the media, saying that amid current global tensions, there is a possibility that countries will pause negotiating actions that can be taken to mitigate climate change.

This year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP31, is meeting in Antalya, Türkiye.

The crisis in the Middle East, widespread inflation, and social unrest are very much the focus of governments at present. The war between the United States and Iran has caused countries to experience energy insecurity, resulting in some cases a return to less expensive fossil fuels such as coal. Therefore, discussions on moving away from fossil fuels and their impact on the environment are expected to be “as difficult, if not more difficult, than before,” Ms Fu added.

At the same time, the minister underlined that several events this year, such as the devastating Tibet-Nepal floods, showed how global climate action is more important than ever. 

"The attention on climate has to be called for, and it's important for COP31 that we draw the global attention of political leaders on global climate action,” CNA reported Ms Fu as saying, adding that “global climate action is urgent, it's critical, and you have seen many events around the world showing us the urgency and the impact of climate change.”

Ms Fu’s conversation with the press centred on why it’s important for Singapore to engage on climate issues. She said that the city-state needs to not only safeguard its interests, but also build the necessary partnerships for its transition and resilience, as well as contribute where it’s possible. 

With FAST-P (Financing Asia's Transition Partnership), which was launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2023, the city-state leads a blended finance initiative to aid green transition throughout Asia.

The minister wrote in a social media post that amid countries’ more immediate and urgent issues, the climate conference is still a vital platform for nations to gather, talk about difficult issues, and look for ways to further global climate action.

“Each COP builds on the progress made before it, while creating new opportunities to turn ideas and commitments into action to move us forward,” she wrote. /TISG

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