Dr Luciana Leite, EJF’s Chief Representative and Lead Advocate for Brazil, is in Antalya for COP31, speaking up for the largest tropical wetland on earth, the Pantanal. Her message, like ours, is simple: the world doesn't need more promises; it needs action.

Action means tackling the crisis from every angle, so we are pushing for change across our campaigns on wetlands, plastics and climate.

Wetlands

Overlooked by most of the world, wetlands are incredible climate allies, storing more carbon per hectare than any other ecosystem on land. However, we are turning these carbon powerhouses into carbon bombs, as pressures from agribusiness, industrial development, and the climate crisis rapidly dry and destroy these ecosystems. This threatens the people and wildlife that rely on them, and undermines their ability to regulate the global climate.

We are calling for the protection and restoration of wetlands to be placed at the forefront of climate action, backed by bold policy commitments, Indigenous leadership, and new global financing.

Plastics

The plastics industry plays a rapidly growing role in fueling climate breakdown, as major fossil fuel companies see plastics as their growth strategy as renewables displace their fuels. It currently accounts for 4-5% of global emissions - the majority of which occur during the production process. If the global plastics system were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world by 2040, behind only China and the United States.

We are calling for binding targets to reduce plastic production and consumption to be included as a central part of countries’ climate commitments, and to keep fossil fuel and petrochemical interests out of COP31.

Climate

Emissions continue to rise, and with each fraction of a degree the planet heats, we see more frequent and intense climate disasters, displacing millions and threatening lives and livelihoods across the globe. For the first time, global temperatures averaged more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels over the last three years, and August 2026 was the joint-hottest month on record globally. Yet the solutions are within reach. Renewable energy has fast become one of the most cost-competitive sources of new electricity worldwide. Climate action is more than a moral imperative; it makes economic sense and costs less than inaction. EJF’s CEO and Founder Steve Trent has long made this point: “action on climate is not a “cost”, but the greatest cost saving in human history”.

We are calling for a rapid end to fossil fuel subsidies and infrastructure, and instead, increased renewable energy production, dedicated finance for adaptation and resilience, and an international legal framework for climate refugees.

We have the solutions, and we know what we need to do. Our leaders must find the political will and ambition to make it happen.

EJF Chief Representative and Lead Advocate in Brazil, Luciana Leite, will be on the ground at COP31. If you’d like a quote or to learn more about EJF’s work at COP31, please email media@ejfoundation.org.