Local Leaders Demand a Seat and Money in COP31 Just Transition Mechanism
COP 31 Side Events • United NationsNovember 10, 2026
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Regional and municipal officials at a COP31 side event in Antalya on Nov. 10, 2026, argued that the just transition mechanism now under negotiation will fail if it doesn't put money, engineers and governance power in local hands. A parallel discussion of Turkey's coal regions showed what happens without a plan: a transition already underway, largely unmanaged and poorly understood by the people living through it. The session was informational, and no decisions were taken.
- Local governments want a governance seat in the UNFCCC just transition mechanism, plus direct finance.
- Less than 10% of international employment funds reach the local level, speakers said.
- Turkish coal employment fell by a third in 15 years without an official phase-out plan.
- A Turkish MP called for a coal phase-out timeline, regional plans and pilot areas.
"A Speech, Not a Project": Locals Push for Finance and Capacity
The basics: A just transition means shifting economies away from fossil fuels while protecting the workers and communities who depend on them. The mechanism under negotiation at COP31, the UN climate summit, will shape how support for that shift is structured and delivered.
Why it matters: Speakers said less than 10% of international employment funds reach the local level. That leaves small municipalities with plans they cannot carry out, even though adaptation and job transitions happen locally.
Where things stand: Scientists on the panel said the barriers to carrying out climate plans are mostly organizational, not technical. Regional officials from Spain's Basque Country and France's Occitanie region then made the case that the gap is about money and staff, not ideas.
Vice President Nadia Pelefigue of the Occitanie Region set out three demands: a role for local governments as partners in governing the mechanism, direct access to finance and engineers, and metrics that measure results. She was blunt about what happens when ambition outruns staffing.
"Ambition without engineers is a speech, not a project, really," said Pelefigue.
Deputy Minister for the Environment Josu Bilbao of the Basque Government made a similar case. He called for projects that are executable and financeable, along with stronger local capacity to deliver them. Basque and Occitanie officials also described the local networks and funding streams their regions already use.
Evrim Rızvanoğlu, a Member of Parliament in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, named four priorities: access to finance, technical support, public participation and international learning.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No motions or votes were taken. The panel set out the demands local governments are likely to press in negotiations over the mechanism's scope, funding and governance.
- Small municipalities have the most to gain from direct finance and technical support, because they lack the staff to compete for international funds.
- Regional governments such as Occitanie and the Basque Country want to shape the mechanism's rules, not just receive its money.
- National governments and international funders would face pressure to give up some control over where funds go and how results are measured.
What's next: The mechanism remains under negotiation at COP31. Whether local governments win a formal governance role, or direct access to funds, will be the test these speakers set for the outcome.
Turkey's "Silent" Coal Transition Is Already Here
Why it matters: Coal employment in Turkey has fallen by a third in 15 years without an official phase-out plan. Speakers warned that this leaves affected workers, women and youth at risk of being shut out of decisions about their own regions' futures.
Where things stand: Research Director Rumeyza Çamdereli of the Yada Foundation presented findings from four coal regions: Soma, Zonguldak, Afşin-Elbistan and Iskenderun. The research found low public awareness of the just transition and different perceptions from region to region. Çamdereli said the findings point to a need to change who gets to speak in the debate. She described the decline as something already happening without anyone managing it.
"It's a silent transition, actually," said Çamdereli.
The point reframes the policy debate. The question in Turkey's coal regions is no longer whether a transition will come. It is whether anyone will plan for one that has already started.
The other side: No speaker defended the status quo. Rızvanoğlu focused her criticism on gaps in the government's approach. She called for a firm coal phase-out timeline, regional transition plans, pilot areas and clearer institutional ownership of the National Just Transition Strategy 2027-2029. Her emphasis on ownership suggests responsibility for the strategy is not yet clearly assigned within the government.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The discussion produced no formal action, but it outlined who is exposed.
- Coal workers in Soma, Zonguldak, Afşin-Elbistan and Iskenderun face job losses with no published timeline to plan around.
- Women and youth in these regions risk being excluded from transition planning, according to the research.
- Turkish national agencies face calls to clarify who owns the 2027-2029 strategy and how it will reach the regions.
- Local governments in coal regions could become testing grounds if pilot areas move forward.
What's next: Speakers described regional plans and pilot areas as next steps but did not announce a timeline. Watch how clearly responsibility for Turkey's National Just Transition Strategy 2027-2029 is assigned as the strategy period approaches.
Minor Items
- Youth participation: A student asked what institutional mechanisms can make participation by youth and underrepresented groups real rather than tokenistic.
- Panel lineup: The session, moderated by Thomas of Climate Alliance, also included María José Sánchez, Scientific Director of BC3.
Looking Ahead
The just transition mechanism is still being negotiated at COP31. Local governments are measuring the outcome by one standard: whether finance, engineers and a governance seat reach the communities expected to carry out the transition.