There's 'not much space for climate denial anymore', says climate expert

As rising seas threaten coastal communities around the globe, negotiators at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey are under immense pressure to move past empty promises. But with geopolitical tensions high and major polluters dragging their feet, can this summit To cut through the diplomatic noise, I'm now joined from Antalya by Dr. Louis Firth, actually deliver for our oceans? a leading marine ecologist at University College Cork in Ireland. Good morning and thank you for coming on the show. Good morning. Thank you for having me. So, Turkey and Australia are co-leading what was billed as the Implementation Summit, yet neither is quitting fossil fuels. Why should we take the outcome of these talks seriously? Because we have to. You asked the question about, you know, can we make a difference? I think it's a case of we have to. I was in a session yesterday where we were talking about small island nations and sea level rise. Those guys obviously are at the absolute front line. And, for example, the Pacific holds some of the greatest natural wealth in the world. So if those countries disappear and are threatened by sea level rise, we all lose out. So it's not a case of... Can we? If we have to. Right. With the US skipping an official delegation and the EU distracted by its own economy, are we heading for some sort of watered-down compromises instead of real action? I hope not. 2026 was a bit of a turning point for many of us. I mean, obviously, with all of the extreme weather that was experienced across Europe and other places, as well as the fuel crisis, everyone is now aware of this. There's not much space for climate denial anymore. It's a case for action. So I really do think the year that's been in it, you know, it's good. It can hopefully shine a light on this and actually provide an impetus for more action. Pacific Islanders already feel sidelined in Antalya. What is the single non-negotiable result coastal communities need before the summit ends? Financing. The rest of the world has to basically support them. They were not the biggest polluters. They were not the biggest contributors to this crisis. But they're the ones that are going to experience it the most. The rest of the world has to get behind supporting them and providing that finance. And if COP31 ends with more pledges on paper but no binding cash for coastal adaptation, is the UN climate process officially broken? Oh dear, that's a big question. I hope not, I hope not. No, I'm going to say no. You have to hope. What would need to happen then? We've seen these conferences over and over again, but if we look at the statistics and you know them better than me, nothing really changes, right? Well, individuals can change things. I mean, there's a lot of things that individuals can do themselves. And we're all empowered to make choices all day, every day of our lives. If we were waiting for the politicians to do that for us, that's why we're in this mess. Individuals can take control. And there's plenty of decisions that they can make every single day to make a difference. All right. Dr. Louise Firth, climate expert from University College Cork. Thank you very much for your time this morning.