International coal regions unite in letter to COP31 Presidency

Coal Action Network has helped to bring coal communities around the world together in a joint call for the Turkish and Australian COP31 Presidencies to increase ambition on coal transition. The 50 signatories of the letter are on the frontlines of opposing coal expansion in their areas.

The emphasis for signatories to be rooted in the struggles against coal expansion has highlighted the abdication of climate leadership by many governments. Fortunately the letter also shows how that leadership is being picked up by communities.

Australian community leadership

Few places have highlighted this more than Australia this year where the Government has approved further coal expansion while it presides over the world’s climate negotiations. In spite of this, one of the Australian signatories to our letter; Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group, took the New South Wales Government to the High Court to overturn another expansion of a coal mine. They were successful in this legal action and set an important precedent in Australia where the broader impacts of burning fossil fuels will now have to be considered.

Open letter to COP31 Presidency

The full letter to the COP31 joint Presidencies, along with all 50 signatories is here:

Dear Minister Murat Kurum and Minister Chris Bowen,
COP31 President Designate and COP31 President of Negotiations,

We, the undersigned frontline communities protecting our lands and livelihoods against an unsustainable future, write to you ahead of COP31 to urge your governments to match our expectations for this COP. Türkiye and Australia have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by aligning domestic policies with the goals of the Paris Agreement and encouraging other countries to do likewise. 

As countries with significant coal interests, a minimum expectation for COP31 is for this Presidency to make joint domestic commitments to end coal use and extraction, simultaneously leading other nations to do likewise. Collaboration between Türkiye and Australia beyond this Presidency would be beneficial to coal regions in all coal producing countries. This would deliver far greater benefits for coal communities than isolated national efforts, enabling shared learning, stronger support systems, and more ambitious outcomes for workers and regions. 

Therefore, we respectfully call for just transition planning to be a central part of the following commitments which we expect Türkiye and Australia to advance during this COP31 Presidency:

Both governments to demonstrate global leadership by committing to a rapid and just transition away from coal which includes:

These steps would signal a shared commitment to keeping the 1.5°C goal alive, protecting a habitable planet, and building a clean, fair, and resilient future for communities everywhere. By showing ambition on coal, the single most polluting major energy source, you can send a powerful signal of leadership and collective responsibility. 

We thank you for your attention and stand ready to engage constructively in the years of transition ahead.

Signed,

Join the network

Coal Action Network is building an international network of groups opposing coal expansion in their own countries, connecting them together, and working out ways to best collaborate across borders. Please get in touch if you are opposing coal extraction, or use in your area.