COP31: From Promises to Practice, a View from Sri Lanka

When world leaders gather in Antalya from 9 to 20 November, Türkiye will host the summit in partnership with Australia. Few people in South Asia still debate whether the climate crisis is real, because we live with it. The question for COP31 is whether it can turn promises into delivery. 

Sri Lanka’s view
Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, yet it has shown real ambition. Its third NDC, covering 2026 to 2035, commits to an economy-wide emission reduction target and aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. It also integrates loss and damage, gender equity and social inclusion. The country has set a target of 70% renewable energy by 2030, and its National Climate Finance Strategy 2025-2030 aims to attract investment. 

Sri Lanka: Updated nationally determined contributions
Sri Lanka’s stated priorities for COP31 are adaptation, enhanced climate finance, addressing loss and damage, and a just transition, with accountability mechanisms for financing. These are the right priorities. As one business forum put it, Sri Lanka is climate-vulnerable yet climate-ambitious, so the real question is whether it is investment-ready. Ambition alone does not pay for resilient infrastructure.