Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will use the COP31 climate summit in Antalya to press wealthy countries for more funding to protect tropical forests, before travelling to Asia to seek upgraded ties with Southeast Asian nations.

Lula is due to speak in the leaders' opening of COP31 as one of three headline speakers, using the platform to showcase Brazil's recent environmental gains and to demand greater climate finance. The summit opens in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday, 9 November, with Turkey holding the presidency and Australia presiding over the negotiations.

At the centre of Brazil's pitch is the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a fund designed to pay countries for keeping their forests standing. The facility has about 7.8 billion US dollars in commitments so far, against a target of 10 billion dollars by the end of the year. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are expected to formalise contributions during COP31 events.

COP31 will pick up unfinished business from COP30, which Brazil hosted in Belém last year, including roadmaps on moving away from fossil fuels and halting deforestation, and a call to increase climate finance for developing countries. Brazil's COP30 presidency published both roadmaps on 3 November.

After the summit, Lula will make a state visit to the Philippines on 14 November and attend the 49th ASEAN Summit on 15 November. Brazil will press for its partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be raised from sectoral dialogue partner to full dialogue partner, a change that requires consensus among ASEAN members.

More than 15 foreign leaders have requested bilateral meetings with Lula at COP31, with a meeting with host President Recep Tayyip Erdogan considered likely. Most of the bilateral meetings are scheduled for the leaders' session on 12 November.

[Source: particle.news](https://particle.news/story/lula-to-push-for-climate-finance-at-cop31-and-seek-upgraded-ties-with-asean) | [Source: dialogue.earth](https://dialogue.earth/en/climate/cop31-latin-americas-fragmented-climate-alliances-head-to-antalya/)