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Fifty climate groups ask Türkiye, Australia to commit to coal phase-out ahead of COP31 – EnviroNews
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Fifty frontline organisations from coal-producing regions across Türkiye, Australia and other parts of the world have urged the two countries to take concrete and binding steps towards phasing out coal as they prepare to lead the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31).
In a joint letter addressed to Murat Kurum, COP31 President and Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, and Chris Bowen, President of Negotiations for COP31 and Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the organisations called for stronger national commitments to end coal production and use.
They urged both countries to demonstrate leadership by adopting policies that would encourage other coal-dependent nations to accelerate their transition away from the fossil fuel.
The organisations stressed that coal phase-out policies must go beyond shutting down power plants and mines, insisting that governments must introduce just transition plans to protect workers, livelihoods and local economies in communities dependent on the coal industry.
They outlined three key actions for the COP31 Presidencies, including rejecting permits for new coal-fired power plants and capacity expansions while systematically phasing out coal-based electricity generation.
They also called for an end to the opening of new coal mines and the expansion of existing ones, as well as accelerated international cooperation towards a coal-free future through concrete national and international commitments under the COP31 Presidencies.
According to the organisations, these measures would help keep the global 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit within reach while creating opportunities for a cleaner, fairer and more resilient future for communities in coal-producing regions.
Mehmet Dalkanat of the Afşin-Elbistan Platform for the Protection of Life and Nature said residents of the Afşin-Elbistan region in Türkiye had endured decades of pollution and other harmful consequences associated with coal activities.
He described the cancellation of a proposed new coal-fired power plant in the region as a significant victory for local communities that had campaigned against the project for years.
“The region now wants to free itself from the burden of coal and secure a clean, healthy and just future,” he said.
Dalkanat urged the COP31 Presidencies to build on the local victory by accelerating coal phase-out efforts and ensuring that affected communities were supported through a just transition.
Similarly, Süheyla Doğan of the Kazdagi Association for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Assets criticised a proposal to construct another power plant in Çanakkale, Türkiye, describing it as inconsistent with the country’s leadership role as COP31 President.
She said communities in coal-producing regions were increasingly demanding cleaner and healthier environments rather than additional coal infrastructure.
“If Türkiye and Australia want to lead the world in phasing out coal, they must demonstrate that leadership in their own countries first,” Doğan said.
She called for COP31 to deliver concrete commitments to end the coal era rather than create opportunities for new coal projects.
In Australia, People for the Plains, an organisation opposing coal mine expansions in New South Wales, called on the government to introduce a moratorium on new coal projects and extensions of existing mines.
The organisation said its region, which relies heavily on agriculture, was particularly exposed to climate change impacts and needed a planned transition away from coal.
It urged the Australian Government to immediately stop approving coal mine expansions and extensions while supporting affected communities to develop cleaner economic alternatives.
Representatives of Sydney Knitting Nannas and Friends also called on state and federal governments to reject approvals for new coal mines and extensions or expansions of existing operations.
They argued that extreme weather events experienced over the past year, alongside forecasts for the coming summer, had increased the urgency of ending dependence on fossil fuels.
The group called for COP31 to establish a binding process for ending fossil fuel production and use.
The organisations maintained that the transition away from coal must be accompanied by adequate planning, investment and support for affected workers and communities to prevent economic disruption and ensure that the benefits of clean energy development are widely shared.
They said Türkiye and Australia had an opportunity through their COP31 leadership roles to translate international climate commitments into practical action towards a coal-free future.
