ANTALYA, Türkiye, November 8, 2026: The world cannot afford another decade of dependence on fossil fuels as climate impacts intensify and oil and gas companies continue to earn huge profits, climate campaign group 350.org has warned ahead of COP31.
The organisation has called on the Turkish and Australian COP31 presidencies to turn climate commitments into concrete action, establish a credible pathway for phasing out coal, oil and gas, and ensure a just and equitable transition towards renewable energy.
In a statement issued ahead of the UN climate conference in Antalya, 350.org said communities worldwide were already facing increasingly severe climate impacts, including deadly heatwaves, catastrophic flooding, droughts and wildfires. Continued reliance on fossil fuels was also exposing households and economies to volatile energy prices, geopolitical instability and energy insecurity.
The group said five major oil and gas companies—BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies—earned a combined $56 billion in profits by the end of the third quarter of 2026, while communities continued to bear the costs of climate change.
350.org said momentum from COP30 in Brazil and the Santa Marta conference in Colombia, where around 80 countries supported efforts to advance the transition away from fossil fuels, had created an opportunity to move from political commitments to implementation.
Efe Baysal, Türkiye Programme Manager at 350.org, said hosting COP31 gave Türkiye an opportunity to demonstrate climate leadership by helping move the world beyond fossil fuel dependence. He stressed that the summit must prioritise renewable energy, climate resilience and people’s livelihoods.
Fenton Lutunatabua, the organisation’s Pacific and Caribbean Programme Manager, said climate change posed an immediate threat to Pacific communities, their homes, cultures and livelihoods. He called for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and meaningful climate finance to protect vulnerable populations.
Rukiya Khamis, East Africa Programme Manager, highlighted the impacts of prolonged droughts and destructive floods across the region, saying countries least responsible for climate change were often facing the greatest costs. She urged governments to deliver climate finance and make fossil fuel companies contribute to climate recovery.
350.org Policy Analyst Fanny Petitbon said that, ten years after the Paris Agreement, climate pledges were no longer enough. Governments must accelerate wind and solar deployment, expand renewable-powered electrification, halt fossil fuel expansion and ensure polluters pay for the damage they have caused.
The organisation has outlined four priorities for COP31: a credible and time-bound pathway for a just phase-out of fossil fuels; stronger and permanent taxes on fossil fuel companies; accelerated renewable energy development alongside stronger grids and energy storage; and adequate climate finance, technology and support for developing countries and vulnerable communities.
It said the choice was not between climate action and affordable, secure energy, but between continued exposure to fossil fuel price volatility and the development of cleaner, more affordable and locally sourced renewable energy systems.
350.org urged governments to use COP31 to move beyond political promises and deliver measurable progress, warning that another decade of delay would deepen climate risks and increase the costs for present and future generations.
