By Leocadia Bongben
In a high-level meeting held on November 2 in Yaoundé by His Excellency Matt Woods, British High Commissioner, and His Excellency Volkan Öskiper, Ambassador of Turkey to Cameroon, Cameroon reaffirmed its negotiating priorities just days before the opening of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), which is set for November 9–20, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey.
Under the direction of His Excellency Hele Pierre, Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), opening the discussions, the Turkish ambassador while acknowledging that Turkey is not “the best student” in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and emphasized the progress made and the need for a realistic approach to climate commitments.
“No country should be considered better than another,” he emphasized, calling for frank dialogue among the parties to achieve goals that are both achievable and, above all, actionable.
This philosophy guides the ten priorities of Turkey’s COP31 presidency: energy transition and electrification, waste and methane reduction, green industrialization, artificial intelligence for clean technologies, resilient cities, climate project financing through the BRIDGE mechanism, climate education, food security, ocean protection, synergies between the Rio Conventions, and resilient health systems.
Through these priorities, Ankara aims to promote the sharing of best practices and mutual learning among nations—an approach praised by several participants as a positive sign at a time when countries in both the North and the South are seeking new forms of climate cooperation.
Congo Basin as a block in negotiations
The British High Commission, H.E. Matt Woods, noted that the forests of the Congo Basin have at times been sidelined at previous climate conferences. He said this lack of attention has often limited the scope and impact of negotiations on the ground.
To prevent this scenario from recurring in Antalya, the United Kingdom is now supporting an advocacy strategy leading up to the negotiations to anticipate sticking points and strengthen the voice of African forest-rich countries. The British diplomat also spoke about his recent visit to the Far North region of Cameroon, where he was able to observe firsthand the effects of climate change on communities and ecosystems. This reality, he said, underscores the urgency of turning international commitments into concrete actions.
He also emphasized the fundamental role of the press in monitoring and evaluating climate commitments, particularly with regard to financing. In his view, the media are an essential link in climate accountability.
Cameroon’s position at COP31
In presenting the national position, Mr. Timothé Kagonbe, climate change focal point at MINEPDED, reiterated that Cameroon is fully aligned with the positions of the African Group and the G77 + China. Under his supervision, the Cameroonian delegation’s preparations for COP31 included several capacity-building workshops for delegation members to prepare them for the negotiations. Additionally, a multi-stakeholder dialogue was held to assess the national situation and define a roadmap for the coming months.
One of the country’s major goals is to establish a robust regulatory framework to access the international carbon market. The authorities wish to avoid past mistakes and learn from previous events deemed inconclusive. In this regard, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement appears to be a central issue for Cameroon in terms of climate finance.
During the technical session, several key challenges were highlighted: The first concerns access to climate finance. Cameroon and other African countries are calling for greater flexibility in accreditation mechanisms to allow national entities to directly mobilize international resources. The second issue is tripling funding for adaptation. African negotiators believe that the amounts currently proposed remain insufficient given the continent’s needs. The third priority is valuing forest carbon. Cameroon believes that its historical conservation efforts, particularly under the REDD+ mechanism, must be better recognized and compensated.
Participants maintained that adaptation, which receives only a small share of global climate finance even though it is a socioeconomic necessity for millions of people. The stated goal is clear: to transform climate challenges into opportunities for sustainable development and poverty reduction.
H.E. Pierre Hélé: “All agroecological zones are affected”
Speaking as head of the Cameroonian delegation to COP31, Minister Pierre Hélé painted a troubling picture of the country’s vulnerability to climate change. In his remarks, he noted that all of Cameroon’s agroecological zones are now affected by climate change, with visible consequences for infrastructure, economic activities, and public health.
The minister drew particular attention to the El Niño event forecast for September 2026 through April 2027, described as one of the most intense observed since the 1950s. In light of these threats, he highlighted Cameroon’s progress in terms of climate ambition. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 now sets the national emissions reduction target at 30% to 48%, in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Paris Agreement.
He also highlighted efforts to strengthen national climate governance through the development of strategic documents and coordination mechanisms. “Cameroon is a carbon sink,” he noted, while acknowledging the increase in emissions in certain sectors of the economy.
