Africa: African Arguments Interview With Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah Ahead of COP31

What the report says

African Arguments published an interview on 12 November 2026 with Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) from Ghana, as COP31 opened in Antalya, Türkiye on 9 November. The piece says the AGN entered the talks with three agenda proposals to the UN climate process: a push to triple adaptation finance, a request to address trade-related climate measures such as carbon border taxes, and a proposal on financing arrangements under the Green Climate Fund. None of the proposals made it into the final agenda, though the COP31 presidency said trade and GCF issues would still be considered in negotiations.

Amoah told African Arguments that Africa’s priorities at COP31 and toward COP32 in Addis Ababa are centered on implementation rather than new targets alone. He argued that the climate rules and planning tools already exist under the Paris Agreement, including carbon market rules, national climate plans and transparency provisions, but said finance, technology and capacity remain essential to make them work in practice. He also linked the AGN’s agenda to the Global Goal on Adaptation, saying Africa has long pushed to give adaptation greater visibility and resources.

The interview also addressed the COP31 co-presidency’s proposed “35-by-35” electrification pledge. Amoah said AGN is not opposed to electrification as a goal, but questioned how baselines and targets would be defined for countries at very different stages of energy access. On the broader fossil fuel transition, he said the shift away from fossil fuels was already agreed at COP28 and should be understood in the context of science, emissions cuts and climate vulnerability, especially for African countries with limited resources.