00:00As rising seas threaten coastal communities around the globe,
00:05negotiators at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey,
00:08are under immense pressure to move past empty promises.
00:12But with geopolitical tensions high and major polluters dragging their feet,
00:17can this summit actually deliver for our oceans?
00:20To cut through the diplomatic noise, I'm now joined from Antalya by Dr. Louis Firth,
00:25a leading marine ecologist at University College Cork in Ireland.
00:29Good morning and thank you for coming on the show.
00:32Good morning. Thank you for having me.
00:34So Turkey and Australia are co-leading what was built as the implementation summit,
00:40yet neither is quitting fossil fuels.
00:42Why should we take the outcome of these talks seriously?
00:47Because we have to.
00:49You asked the question about, you know, can we make a difference?
00:51I think it's a case of we have to.
00:54I was in a session yesterday where we were talking about small island nations
00:58and sea level rise.
01:00Those guys obviously are at the absolute front line.
01:03And, for example, the Pacific holds some of the greatest natural wealth in the world.
01:08So if those countries disappear and are threatened by the sea level rise,
01:13we all lose out.
01:14So it's not a case of can we?
01:17We have to.
01:18Right.
01:19With the U.S. skipping an official delegation and the EU distracted by its own economy,
01:24are we heading for some sort of watered down compromises instead of real action?
01:31I hope not.
01:332026 was a bit of a turning point for many of us.
01:35I mean, obviously, with all of the extreme weather that was experienced across Europe
01:39and other places, as well as the fuel crisis,
01:42everyone is now aware of this.
01:44There's not much space for climate denial anymore.
01:47It's a case for action.
01:48So I really do think the year that's been in it, you know, it's good.
01:54It can hopefully shine a light on this and actually provide an impetus for more action.
01:59Pacific Islanders already feel sidelined in Antalya.
02:04What is the single non-negotiable result coastal communities need before the summit ends?
02:12Financing.
02:13The rest of the world has to basically support them.
02:17They were not the biggest polluters.
02:19They were not the biggest contributors to this crisis.
02:21But they're the ones that are going to experience it the most.
02:24The rest of the world has to get behind supporting them and providing that finance.
02:30And if COP31 ends with more pledges on paper,
02:34but no binding cash for coastal adaptation,
02:37is the UN climate process officially broken?
02:41Oh, dear.
02:42That's a big question.
02:44I hope not.
02:45I hope not.
02:47No.
02:48I'm going to say no.
02:50You have to hope.
02:51What need to happen then?
02:57We've seen these conferences over and over again.
03:01But if we look at the statistics, and you know them better than me,
03:05nothing really changes, right?
03:08Well, individuals can change things.
03:10I mean, there's a lot of things that individuals can do themselves.
03:13And we're all empowered to make choices all day, every day of our lives.
03:17If we were waiting for the politicians to, you know, to do that for us,
03:21we, you know, that's why we're in this mess.
03:23Individuals can take control.
03:25And there's plenty of decisions that they can make every single day to make a difference.
03:29All right.
03:30Dr. Louis Firth, climate expert from University College Cork.
03:34Thank you very much for your time this morning.
03:37Thank you very much for your time.
