Brussels, 12 October 2026 – Today, EU environment ministers agreed on the bloc’s overall negotiations mandate for COP31. Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe warns that the EU’s position still lacks a concrete pathway to phase out fossil fuels fairly, scale up adaptation finance and turn just transition commitments into actual delivery.
Chiara Martinelli, Director of CAN Europe, said:
“COP31 must be about implementation, but the EU’s approach leaves too much of the ‘how’ unanswered. Keeping 1.5°C within reach means connecting the dots between mitigation, adaptation, finance and just transition, not treating them as disconnected tracks. Europe now needs to turn its climate diplomacy into delivery mode: more ambition at home, more solidarity internationally and climate justice at the heart of implementation. In the middle of ongoing geopolitical instabilities, COP31 is the EU’s chance to show it is willing to stay the course on the Paris Agreement objectives, both domestically and internationally.”
On fossil fuels, the EU position recognises the need to transition away from them and welcomes the Santa Marta process, but stops short of setting out a credible, time-bound pathway out for the EU itself or a clear strategy to advance a global roadmap through the UN climate process. CAN Europe calls for an equitable fossil fuel phase-out, with developed countries moving first and fastest, alongside a shift to 100% renewable energy and efficient, fair electrification.
Sven Harmeling, Head of Climate at CAN Europe, said
“Recognising the need to shift away from fossil fuels is no longer enough. The EU needs a real roadmap, with timelines and action at home, and a strategy for pushing the same ambition globally. Every new fossil fuel crisis shows the cost of delay. Europe should be leading the shift, not merely describing why it is necessary. Every fraction of a degree matters, and that’s why a just and orderly fossil fuel phase-out is crucial in limiting the climate crisis.”
On just transition, the EU supports making the Belém–Antalya Mechanism for Just Transition operational. COP31 now needs to deliver the institutional arrangements and timeline needed for the mechanism to function from 2027 and ensure that workers, communities and vulnerable groups are at the centre of national mitigation and adaptation pathways, following the principles agreed at COP30.
James Trinder, International Climate Policy Coordinator at CAN Europe, said:
“A just transition cannot remain a principle on paper. COP31 needs to turn it into something countries and communities can actually use. This is about putting people at the centre. The EU should champion a mechanism that protects rights, creates decent work and social protection, and makes fairness a core part of national climate plans, not an afterthought.”
The Environment Council conclusions follow last week’s Finance Ministers’ decision on the EU’s COP31 climate finance, which failed to show how the EU would deliver sufficient public finance or shift financial flows away from fossil fuels.
For more information and media requests:
- Jani Savolainen, jani.savolainen@caneurope.org, +358 504667831
Notes for editors:
- CAN Europe demands for COP31 & COP31 Hub
- You can join CAN Europe COP31 media list and media WhatsApp channel here