Brussels takes to the streets: COP31 in Antalya gets underway with little hope

Translated by Valeria Vinciguerra

A few weeks before COP31, the UN climate summit that, in November, will bring together delegates from around the world in Antalya, on the Turkish coast, environmental issues are once again taking centre stage in Europe's political heart: on Sunday, a long demonstration made its way through Brussels to the district of the Community institutions, with an attendance estimated by the police at around 45,000 people and which the organizers have brought to 60,000, in what is only the latest in a series of marches held in the Belgian capital.

The mobilisation was driven above all by memories of a summer marked by record-breaking heat waves, which in Belgium caused an unprecedented increase in deaths compared with usual levels and rekindled fears about the effects of global warming on the continent. Aimen Horch, leader of the Greens of Flanders and Brussels, recounted people unable to sleep in their scorching homes, the fires that devastated the Hautes Fagnes, one of the country's most precious natural areas, and a government perceived as absent. He also stressed that the movements' demands remain the same as always, but that the sense of urgency has never been stronger.

The initiative was promoted by the Climate Coalition together with other organisations, including the Flemish Groen party, and revolved around five objectives: a gradual end to fossil fuel subsidies accompanied by taxation of the sector, the growth of green spaces, a fair transition that leaves no one behind, stronger support for citizens and businesses seeking to move away from fossil fuels and stronger international cooperation. Among the participants, economist Etienne de Callatay explained that those marching in the streets are not the only ones concerned about the situation and that, after such a summer, politicians should not fear an electoral backlash for making bold choices. Aurore Schreiber, on the other hand, who works for a NGO in the development sector, took to the streets with her family to demand that politicians listen to young people and vulnerable people and that greener, fairer supply chains be developed, ensuring fair wages and decent working conditions.

Yet while protesters are demanding more ambition, prospects for the Antalya summit look far from encouraging: the United States, under Donald Trump, has withdrawn from the negotiations, weakening the entire process. Disappointment over the failure to reach an ambitious agreement at last year's summit in Brazil still weighs heavily on Europeans, and rising energy prices have given new strength to major oil and gas producers, who are even less likely to discuss a farewell to fossil fuels. Against this backdrop, the European Union, which continues to present itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change and as the sector's largest international donor, is approaching the summit in a difficult position. In an effort to remain competitive with China and the United States, the EU has softened some of its environmental rules, favouring a more business-friendly approach. The most recent example is the Commission's proposal, put forward in September, to delay by one year, from 2027 to 2028, the entry into force of the methane law, a greenhouse gas that is extremely harmful to the climate.

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