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‘The law is clear but the politics is fragmenting’. This is the assessment of the current multilateral climate regime by veteran climate negotiator and ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Law School Honorary Professorial Fellow, Vicente Paolo Yu as he delivered a public lecture on The Road to COP31: Multilateral Climate Cooperation in a Changing WorldLink opens in a new window on Wednesday, 14 October at the ¹û¶³´«Ã½.

As global leaders and international stakeholders meet imminently for in Antalya, Türkiye in November 2026, Mr Yu set out the challenges facing negotiators and the issues at stake for international cooperation on climate change in the face of geopolitical and economic tensions and fragmentation.

The event, convened by the Law School’s Centre for the Law, Regulation and Governance of the Global Economy (GLOBE)Link opens in a new window, the Institute for Advanced ¹û¶³´«Ã½ (IAS)Link opens in a new window and the ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s Multilateral Engagement Action GroupLink opens in a new window, examined how escalating military conflicts, rising energy vulnerabilities, trade and financial shocks, and intensifying competition over trade, technology and critical resource are reshaping the legal and political space for climate change law and policymaking.

The lecture specifically focused on the issue of the equitable distribution of the remaining global carbon budget, taking into account historical responsibilities and contemporary capabilities and development pathways. The lecture demonstrated how global collective action on climate change is taking place in a highly unequal world but one where the effects of inaction is being felt acutely, often in places that have least contributed to climate change.

Unpacking the complex relationship between science, equity and justice, Mr Yu argued that while science sets the urgency for action, it does not settle questions of equity and allocation of resources and responsibility and that in order to have meaningful global collective action, there is an imperative to change the conditions – finance, technology, trade rules, fiscal space, presentation – for there to be a just transition towards a decarbonised, climate resilient world.

Mr Yu was joined by discussants, , Senior Lecturer at Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex and Professor Ben CliftLink opens in a new window, Professor of Political Economy, Department of Politics and International Studies, ¹û¶³´«Ã½, who both provided complementary perspectives on the road to COP31.

Dr Yilmaz Vastardis provided examples of how other international legal frameworks, notably international investment law, can act as structural impediments for countries undertaking global climate action and while Professor Clift detailed how expert regimes can entrench rather than overcome structural asymmetries in multilateral negotiations.

A full recording of the event, presentation slides and further resources can be found hereLink opens in a new window. The event forms part of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Law School’s growing portfolio of policy and public engagement on climate finance and just transitions.

It is also part of a series of events and activities organised by the ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s Multilateral Engagement Action GroupLink opens in a new window in the run-up to COP31.

GLOBE Centre Co-Director, Professor Celine Tan, will be leading the University's delegation to COP31Link opens in a new window, bringing ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€™s interdisciplinary researchers to the heart of conversations on the future of climate action and sustainability.