24 September 2026 4:04 am
Will COP31 Finally See Promises Become Action Soon?

Will COP31 Finally See Promises Become Action Soon?

Aug 13, 2026

Crowd gathering for climate change protest, holding activist sign. by Markus Spiske via Pexels

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Devex Newswire: Will COP31 finally see promises become action?

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By  //  DEVEX 12 August 2026
COP31 faces the hard part of meeting targets.  Plus, the World Bank identifies a ‘lifeline’ for low-income nations.

COP31 will come without a blockbuster deal to negotiate — and with an identity crisis.

After decades of making promises, can the COP process finally prove it can deliver?

Talking Turkey

What do you do with a giant annual climate summit once most of the giant climate promises have already been made? That’s the slightly awkward question hanging over the 31st U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP31, which kicks off in Antalya, Turkey, in three months.

For decades, COPs have been built around the drama of negotiating the next big target. Now comes the considerably less glamorous bit: actually delivering. “The system is experiencing growing pains because we’re moving from negotiating new targets to actually meeting them,” Joe Thwaites, international climate finance director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, tells my colleague Jesse Chase-Lubitz. “And we’re doing this against a backdrop of geopolitical rupture and an economic crisis.”

Last year’s COP30 in Belém, Brazil, offered a taste of how messy that transition could be. Brazil billed it as the “implementation COP,” only for the summit to descend into fights over the failure to phase out fossil fuel and a chaotic final plenary. One thing did gain momentum: the Action Agenda, where businesses, investors, cities, and NGOs try to turn all those lofty climate promises into things that actually happen.

Turkey is picking up that baton — and betting big on electrification. Its headline 35×35 push aims to raise electricity’s share of final energy demand from roughly 23% today to 35% by 2035. Australia, COP31’s first-ever cohost, is meanwhile focusing on access to finance, with Fiji and Tuvalu hosting the pre-COP and leaders segment, respectively, in the lead-up to Antalya.

And yes, we’re going to talk about climate finance again. Developing countries never loved the $300 billion-a-year target agreed at COP29, while rich countries have become conspicuously less enthusiastic about announcing shiny new multiyear pledges. “Governments no longer see these commitments as a point of diplomatic pride,” Thwaites says, “and quite likely, they’re seeing them as a domestic political liability.” Or, even more bluntly: “There’s no peer pressure, there’s no race to the top.”

So COP31 doesn’t have one enormous deal to land. Instead, it has something arguably harder to prove: that the world’s sprawling climate summit can evolve from a place where governments make promises into one where those promises actually go somewhere. And after 30 COPs, that may be the reckoning the process needs.

Going around gridlock

And Turkey has a plan for getting climate action moving when the big global negotiations don’t: Don’t wait for everyone to agree, Jesse writes.

Ahead of COP31, Turkey is exploring a new South-South and Triangular Cooperation Climate Initiative aimed particularly at least developed countries and small island developing states. The idea is to connect countries with practical expertise, technology, financing, and solutions that can help them actually deliver their climate plans.

And “actually deliver” is very much the theme of COP31. “COP31 presents a timely opportunity to demonstrate how South-South and triangular cooperation can drive climate implementation,” says Dima Al-Khatib, director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. “Beyond negotiations, we must strengthen platforms that connect countries with solutions, innovators with investors, and local experience with global partnerships.”

The proposal also fits neatly into Turkey’s broader attempt to make COP31 about implementation rather than another round of grand declarations. Abdullah Eren, the president of Turkish aid agency TİKA, wants a practical road map that can “transform ideas into concrete partnerships” and “deliver tangible outcomes for COP31.” In other words: fewer promises, more things that might actually get done.

There’s another attraction. With wealthy countries increasingly reluctant to make big new climate finance pledges, a south-south mechanism wouldn’t need everyone on board. A smaller coalition of willing countries could simply get moving — much like COP’s increasingly important Action Agenda, which allows governments, businesses, investors, cities, and civil society to pursue climate initiatives outside the painfully slow consensus negotiations.

But there’s a catch. For now, this is still an idea, not a new pot of climate cash. Organizers haven’t yet settled what it would fund, how it would be governed, or how it would fit alongside existing initiatives. And because it sits outside the formal negotiating process, it won’t be binding or appear in a COP decision. That’s the trade-off: It may be easier to get moving precisely because nobody has to agree.

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UAE Professionals Taking on More Responsibilities and AI Use

UAE Professionals Taking on More Responsibilities and AI Use

Aug 4, 2026

A stunning view of the iconic Etihad Towers reaching toward the sky in Abu Dhabi. by Khalid via Pexels

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UAE professionals taking on more responsibilities without more pay, study finds

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Nearly half are working longer hours, while 73% now use AI to cope with growing workloads

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Dhanusha Gokulan, Chief Reporter
Gulf News – Last updated: 

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A new study by Robert Walters found that 79 per cent of UAE professionals say their job responsibilities have expanded over the past year, with many reporting longer working hours and increased use of AI to manage growing workloads. Picture used for illustrative purposes.

.A new study by Robert Walters found that 79 per cent of UAE professionals say their job responsibilities have expanded over the past year, with many reporting longer working hours and increased use of AI to manage growing workloads. Picture used for illustrative purposes.Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

 

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Dubai: A new study has revealed that nearly eight in 10 professionals in the UAE say they are doing far more at work than they originally signed up for, with many taking on extra responsibilities without additional pay, promotions or formal recognition.

Global talent solutions firm Robert Walters found in its study titled “Shadow Workloads”: 79 per cent of UAE professionals said their roles had unofficially expanded over the past 12 months, creating what the company describes as “shadow workloads” — additional responsibilities that gradually build up without being formally acknowledged.

The findings suggest that many employees are coping by working longer hours. Almost half (49 per cent) said they are spending more time at work, while a quarter (25 per cent) said they delegate tasks wherever possible.

Despite the growing workload, only 17 per cent of professionals said they had spoken to their managers about the increase in responsibilities.

Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at Robert Walters, said many businesses are operating under financial pressure and are trying to achieve more with existing teams.

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“Many organisations are navigating a tough operating environment right now, facing ongoing cost pressures and the need to deliver more with fewer resources,” he said.

He added that while it is natural for roles to evolve, problems arise when extra work is not formally recognised.

“When that shift happens without clear visibility or formal recognition, it can create ‘shadow workloads’ – where additional responsibilities build up informally over time.”

UAE workplaces adapting quickly

Oli Sanford-Scutt, Senior Director at Robert Walters Middle East, said professionals across the UAE are increasingly reporting that their roles have quietly expanded as businesses adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

“The UAE’s business environment moves fast, and organisations have had to adapt quickly, but that pace of change means additional responsibilities can accumulate before anyone has had a chance to address them,” he said.

He warned that if left unchecked, the added pressure could become normalised, increasing the risk of burnout and lower productivity.

AI helping workers — but also adding pressure

The report found that artificial intelligence is becoming a key tool for employees trying to keep up with growing workloads.

Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of UAE professionals said they now use AI tools to complete tasks they would not normally have been able to do.

The report also referred to a recent Harvard Business Review study, which found that AI adoption among employees at a US technology company expanded the scope of work, increased the pace of work and led to longer working hours, contributing to what it described as “workload creep”.

Powell said AI has clear productivity benefits but warned it must be introduced carefully.

“AI is already proving to be a powerful tool for boosting productivity and helping employees step into new areas more quickly.”

However, he added: “The challenge is ensuring it’s implemented in a way that genuinely reduces pressure rather than simply raising expectations.”

Sanford-Scutt said the UAE’s rapid adoption of AI gives businesses a competitive advantage, but it can also raise expectations of employees without formally changing their roles.

“When AI enables people to take on tasks beyond their usual remit, expectations can shift without anyone explicitly saying so.”

Burnout becoming more common

The research also found that many professionals are experiencing what it calls a “competence hangover” — a feeling of mental exhaustion, brain fog and emotional fatigue which comes after long periods of ‘high performance.’

More than two in five respondents (43 per cent) said they experience this regularly, while another 31 per cent said it happens from time to time.

Powell said taking on new responsibilities can benefit both employees and employers, but only if the extra effort is properly recognised and managed.

“If that effort isn’t recognised or managed effectively, it can lead to fatigue and diminishing returns, impacting everything from decision-making to overall productivity.”

He said organisations need to identify where workloads are increasing and respond by redistributing work, investing in better tools or bringing in temporary support where necessary.

“Ultimately, organisations that strike the right balance between efficiency and sustainable workloads will be better positioned to maintain long term performance.”

Dhanusha Gokulan
Dhanusha Gokulan, Chief Reporter
Dhanusha is a Chief Reporter at Gulf News in Dubai, with her finger firmly on the pulse of UAE, regional, and global aviation. She dives deep into how airlines and airports operate, expand, and embrace the latest tech.

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Faster Energy Transition Core to National Security Importance

Faster Energy Transition Core to National Security Importance

Jul 31, 2026

A striking solar power tower illuminated under the clear blue sky in Morocco. by Pierre Matile via Pexels

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Faster energy transition core to national security, says UN climate chief

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By 
Global Government Forum on 30/07/2026

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Simon Stiell highlighted that continuing reliance on fossil fuels is undermining peace and stability and that countries must accelerate efforts to switch to renewables, in a speech to the UN General Assembly

Countries need to come together to accelerate the global energy transition and end the world’s “addiction” to fossil fuels, UN climate chief Simon Stiell has said.

During the UN’s Accelerating the Global Energy Transition: Advancing Renewables and Mobilizing Investment dialogue in New York on 24 July, Stiell said climate change is increasing conflict and driving up food and energy prices – and that the move to renewables would help boost national security and resilience.

“A world addicted to coal, oil and gas is a world of economic uncertainty, unnecessary costs, and conflict… And while we keep burning fossil fuels, our planet will keep heating, undermining peace and stability,” he said.

Stiell said events in 2026 had made clear the need for clean energy and demonstrated its benefits.

“Conflict has taken an appalling human toll and choked global energy markets, pushing up prices for billions of people,” he said, emphasising that renewables “frontrunners” like Spain and Pakistan had been shielded from some of the worst effects of the fossil fuel cost crisis, “demonstrating that clean energy is secure energy”.

He added that conflict, economic downturns and climate-related shocks had “dealt a triple blow to food security”, leading to higher food prices around the world and the most vulnerable in society to “stare down the barrel… of desperate hunger”.

Governments ‘increasingly viewing climate as security issue’

Stiell said it was “no wonder” that governments increasingly view climate as a security issue, and that it was “imperative” to protect people, livelihoods and economies from “escalating climate disasters” by building resilience and accelerating the energy transition.

“Renewables are cheaper, more accessible, and faster to market. They can fortify the foundations of peace, boosting sustainable development – the best conflict prevention tool we have – while reducing emissions and supercharging economies.”

He stressed that the energy transition must “meet the demands of science”, and be faster and fairer so that “every nation benefits”, and that countries and communities historically dependent on fossil fuel revenues are supported.

He also noted that renewables, electrification and efficiency must be “progressed together in countries and industries”, and gave the example of UN secretary-general António Guterres’ call for major AI companies to power every data centre with renewables by 2030.

Global climate cooperation, and COP31 electrification target

Stiell drew attention to some of the goals countries had committed to at previous COP summits, including to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, and triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.

He said regional and global climate cooperation was key to delivering these and would involve “cross-border connections, power pools, and common standards”, as well as the convening power of the UN, which he said is “increasingly focused on supporting implementation”.

He also noted that Turkey, which is hosting this year’s COP in November, had announced its ‘action agenda’ targets, including the goal for global electrification to account for 35% of energy consumption by 2035.

“Electrification is a golden ticket to more prosperity and stability,” Stiell said.

Financing the energy transition

In his speech, Stiell also covered financing, noting that finance is “essential” for countries “to bank the vast benefits” of the energy transition and to build resilience.

He called on developed countries to honour their commitments to triple adaptation finance and deliver US$300bn per year by 2035, as part of aims to scale up to US$1.3 trillion a year.

He said multilateral development banks are “ideally placed to help” and must “step up” to help facilitate this, including through the offer of credit enhancement and guarantees which “deliver serious bang for buck in crowding in private capital, particularly in developing countries where perceived risk increases costs”.

Stiell added that countries need systemic support – not just project-by-project financing – including to strengthen grids, improve policies and regulation, and “build a pipeline of bankable projects”.

He concluded: “As the realities of fossil fuel dependency play out in real-time, it is increasingly clear: that faster energy transitions are core business for governments and core to national security strategies; that doubling-down on renewables and resilience is in every country’s interests; and that action now is the basis of long-term peace and security around the world.”

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Faster Energy Transition Core to National Security Importance

Simon Stiell. Photo by the Global Environment Facility via Flickr under CC 2.0

Luke Barisonek is a student at Boston University pursuing a degree in international relations with a focus on environment and development. As part of the Boston University London Summer Internship Program, Luke is interning with Global Government Forum where he primarily works in the editorial department. Luke is active in Boston-based political organising and is a member of the Boston University Snowboard Team.

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Inclusion is Sustainability: Addressing Environmental Issues

Inclusion is Sustainability: Addressing Environmental Issues

Jul 25, 2026

A vast landfill with urban skyline in Banten, Indonesia, highlighting environmental challenges. by Tom Fisk via Pexels

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Inclusion is sustainability

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We cannot neuter politics of access, justice and rights, and hope to fix environment or indeed development

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Inclusion is sustainability

Illustration: Yogendra Anand/CSE

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Published on Down To Earth

We stand at a cross-roads. Unsustainable growth is driving us towards climate catastrophe, while inequitable growth is fuelling increased poverty, increased marginalisation and increased anger. Our learning in India is that growth that is not affordable or, in other words, equitable, cannot be sustainable.

Consider air pollution. Delhi has become synonymous with toxic air. This is not for want of action. All coal plants have been shut; pet coke import (incidentally which the US exports because it is too toxic for local use) has been banned; and we are moving towards the cleanest fuels and vehicle technologies. But it is not good enough. Each winter, pollution returns with a vengeance. My colleagues estimate that air pollution in Delhi has fallen by 25 per cent over the past three years, as compared to the previous three; but levels still need to decline by 65 per cent to get what you can call, clean air. And this is when air pollution is a great equaliser. It does not differentiate between the rich and the poor; between the rural and urban populations. This is different from water pollution, where the rich can turn to bottled water. The middle-classes of the city may buy air purifiers, but they still breathe in the same airshed that contains toxins from the cars of the rich as well as the biomass-based stoves of the poor.

This is where the question of what we do next, becomes critical. We can continue to do what the rest of the world has done to combat pollution from each vehicle: improve the quality of fuel and even consider moving to electric vehicles. But these incremental actions would keep us spending and keep us behind the pollution crisis. The reason is simple: today, less than 20 per cent of my city drive in cars to work; roughly 25 per cent own cars. But these 25 per cent vehicle owners take 90 per cent of the road space. The question is, if the demand of just 20 per cent leads to huge congestion and pollution, where and how can the city find the road and air space for all?

This is where the environmentalism of the poor kicks in. Adding a few buses or trams or metros won’t work; we need to transform mobility so that it works both for the rich and the poor. This will mean combining affordability and convenience and safety.

Transformative action is also needed in case of energy. Today, many households in my world still use biomass to cook food. Women are exposed to toxic air pollutants. The problem is this pollution, which is killing poor people, is also contaminating the airshed of the rich and those owning SUVs. So, if we want clean air, we will first have to get the rich out of their polluting vehicles, but we will also have to ensure that the poor women get options to move out of dirty fuels. The opportunity is enormous. If we reinvent for transformative action, we can provide them viable, affordable options to leapfrog—from non-fossil dirty fuels, not to fossil, but to non-fossil clean fuels. This is where the world needs leadership so that finance for the energy transition is concessional and provides the opportunity to scale up the system for the poorest in the world.

The challenge of climate change reflects a similar tension. In 1990, my colleague Anil Agarwal and I argued in our publication Global Warming in an Unequal World that the world could not combat climate change without a fair and equitable agreement. Today, the same issue is on the table. If solutions cannot meet the needs of all—are equitable—they will not work.

Events in our world are spiraling out of control. Every year, we are told, is the hottest on record until the next year arrives and breaks that record. It is getting worse: from forest fires, to increasing frequency and intensity of storms, to blistering cold waves and scorching heat. The most inconvenient truth is that at current rates of emissions, the world will run out of the carbon budget—how much it can emit to keep temperature rise below 1.5°C—by 2030. Vast numbers of people still do not have access to basic energy; they need to grow and need energy for development. This is why we need cooperation so that future development can be low carbon for all.

It is clear that increasing numbers of disasters will make the poor, poorer. Their impoverishment and marginalisation will add to their desperation to seek alternative livelihoods. Their only choice will be to migrate—move to the city; move to another country. This will add to the already volatile situation, making our world insecure and violent. This is the cycle of destructive change that we must fight. Our globalised world is inter-connected and inter-dependent, we must recognise this. Sustainable development is not possible if it is not equitable. Growth has to be affordable and inclusive for it to be sustainable. But all this will not happen unless we articulate that the environmental challenge is not technocratic but political. We cannot neuter politics of access, justice and rights and hope to fix environment or indeed development.

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Can the World Still Achieve the SDGs by 2030?

Can the World Still Achieve the SDGs by 2030?

Jul 24, 2026

A vibrant scene of people raising hands to a large inflatable globe at a public event in Berlin. by skigh_tv via Pexels

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Can world still achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?

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Can the World Still Achieve the SDGs by 2030?r
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
ARAB NEWS – 23 July 2026
Short Url : https://arab.news/ghfqe

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Can world still achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
A Saudi man looks at solar panels in Uyayna, north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Apr. 10, 2018. (Reuters)

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The international community is at a critical moment when it comes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which were endorsed in 2015 with the aim of eradicating poverty and protecting the planet via 17 interconnected goals and 169 targets.

Key progress has been made in areas such as access to education, healthcare, renewable energy and digital innovation. Nevertheless, the chances of achieving the overall goals by the target of 2030 are fading.

The international community is significantly off track on progress toward many goals for four reasons: conflicts, economic volatility, the impacts of climate change, and the increasing inequalities between the wealthy and poor.

Based on recent assessments, including the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report and the SDG Index, only about 35 percent of SDG targets are on track or showing some progress. Nearly half are going forward too slowly and about 18 percent are seeing outright reversals compared to 2015 baselines.

Most progress can be witnessed in socioeconomic areas, while the shortcomings are linked to environmental goals and systemic inequalities.

There are challenges but several countries and regions have shown that targeted policies and investments can produce meaningful results. For example, East and South Asia have shown the fastest overall progress since 2015. This is mainly driven by rapid advancements in poverty reduction, education and infrastructure.

When it comes to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a compelling example of national ambition being aligned with the SDGs through its Vision 2030. The Kingdom has made notable gains in renewable energy as it diversifies away from oil dependency.

Several countries have shown that targeted policies and investments can produce meaningful results.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

For example, its massive solar initiatives — including building one of the world’s largest solar farms — support both SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

Saudi Arabia has also invested heavily in education and healthcare, improving both access and quality, which contributes to gains in SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Reports state that Saudi Arabia has improved its SDG Index score by 8.1 percentage points, with particularly strong performance in areas like poverty reduction (SDG 1).

The UAE has similarly advanced thanks to its efforts in leveraging innovation hubs and green finance to address multiple goals simultaneously.

Africa has shown resilience amid many obstacles. For example, Ethiopia and Benin have recorded some of the strongest gains. This has largely been achieved through socioeconomic indicators like health and education access.

Rwanda has become a model for postconflict recovery and digital innovation, with strong progress in healthcare and gender equality. And Kenya has capitalized on its tech-savvy youth entrepreneurship and renewable energy investments.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, countries like Costa Rica, Chile and Uruguay continue to make progress, particularly in biodiversity protection and social policies. Brazil has pursued climate and social protection initiatives, reaching about 19 percent of its targets.

European nations, particularly the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden and Denmark), are at the top of the overall SDG Index rankings. This is mainly due to their strong institutions, social welfare systems and green policies. However, even they face challenges, including regarding consumption patterns and international spillovers affecting poorer nations.

These countries reveal that progress is possible and that it has been made when countries align their national strategies with global goals and when these goals are supported by public investment and innovation.

But there are still many challenges to overcome. For instance, conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and parts of Africa have devastated infrastructure, displaced populations and reversed gains in fighting poverty and improving healthcare. Debt burdens in developing countries have widened financing gaps. Climate change is also exacerbating existing vulnerabilities through extreme weather.

There are still inequalities both within and between countries. Gender disparities persist. Environmental targets such as climate action (SDG 13) show the slowest progress globally.

To be realistic, comprehensively achieving all the SDGs by the deadline appears unlikely taking into account the current pace. Projections suggest that many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and conflict zones, will fall short.

However, this should not discourage us. Even partial successes and accelerated action in the remaining time could transform millions of lives. This can be done by more governments integrating the SDGs into their national budgets and development plans.

Governments should prioritize expanding social protections, investing in green infrastructure and reforming education systems to promote digital and green skills.

Even partial successes and accelerated action in the remaining time could transform millions of lives.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

International organizations like the UN, World Bank and International Monetary Fund should enhance their financing mechanisms, debt relief and technical assistance for poor and vulnerable nations.

Finally, the private sector can play a key role through responsible investment. Companies involved in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Kenya’s tech ecosystem exemplify this powerful potential.

While achieving all the SDGs by the 2030 deadline appears unlikely, the progress made so far in countries from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Ethiopia, India and Costa Rica proves that persistence, determination and intelligent policies can deliver results. The international community can still salvage and amplify gains, but political will is urgently needed.

  • Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh