Climate Justice – Is it just lip-service and broken promises?

By Lagi Keresoma/

Antalya, Turkiye – 11 November 2026: A group of advocates are protesting and making loud noises about broken promises at the COP 31 conference in progress at Antalya, Turkiye.

Central to the protest is accessibility to adaptation funds which mostly affected countries argue is long overdue.

The Climate Justice concept was first discussed in the Climate Justice Summit hosted in the Netherlands in 2000 where grassroots groups came together to highlight certain aspects of climate change as a human rights-based entity.

New promises were made in the follow up COP conferences.

In 2013, ahead of the COP 21 in Ireland, the Declaration on Climate Justice was released.

However, the 2015 Paris Agreement officially acknowledged that “wealthier countries must support the vulnerable developing countries.”

That Agreement became the centre of today’s protest where the group called on COP 31 to hold those responsible accountable.

One of the organisers Kate T. called on COP 31 to act on the promises already documented.

They believe that millions are being spent on military funded projects, trillions into fossil fuel and nothing to deliver the adaptation fund already promised.

They called for access to the Adaptation Fund and reminded COP 31 of the terrible situation faced by some countries.

“These countries do not deserve it,” Kate T said.

Climate Justice protesters at COP31, Antalya, Turkiye

The Dare
Whilst the group continued their protest, two young men were also campaigning for the same cause nearby.

Their call focused on the International Court of Justice advised in July 2025 holding countries responsible for climate change issues.

The advice followed a successful campaign by Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, and the two young men used songs to deliver their message across.

Will there be a repetition of a walk-out
The crowd outside the pavilion who witnessed the event started to whisper amongst themselves and whilst others supported the call, others were skeptical.

The Pacific have collectively supported the call for climate justice and the adaptation fund to compensate for their Loss and Damages.

In COP 29, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) walked out of the conference during the negotiations where the rich counties offered a $300 billion financial goal by 2035.

SIDS members were asking for $1.3 trillion. Accessing those funds remain distant and are being discussed again at COP31.