The European Union ’s (EU) top climate official admitted on Tuesday (November 10, 2026) that expectations were “low” from the COP31 summit in Turkiye, while holding out hope for “meaningful” progress on the topic of clean electricity.
ALSO WATCH COP31: Can negotiators finally deliver results? | The Hindu explains The talks are also missing a major player since U.S. President Donald Trump who pulled Washington out of the Paris climate agreement has not sent officials to the talks. Hoekstra repeated. Environmental groups have criticised a series of recent European rollbacks on climate, most lately plans to postpone rules targeting methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. But Mr. Hoekstra pushed back at the notion the EU was backsliding on its ambitions.
“Expectations are low — that’s just a reflection of reality,” European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told a group of reporters including from AFP , arguing that electrification should be the core focus of the United Nations climate talks . “Europe is at the absolute top of delivering on climate finance, not just for ourselves but also for others,” Mr. Hoekstra said, calling for a push for “more burden sharing”.
The EU has previously warned there would be no political will for extra funding pledges at COP31, a message Mr.
“Not at all. Just clear and plain, not at all,” he said, pointing to the bloc’s 27 member states backing a target to cut emissions by 90 percent by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, with some flexibility.
