Dr Mitchell Lennan, Lecturer in Environmental Law at the University of Aberdeen School of Law, delivered the opening plenary statement on behalf of the Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) constituency at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday 9 November 2026.
Dr Lennan is representing the University of Aberdeen at COP31, where he is contributing his expertise in ocean and climate change law to discussions on international climate action. Addressing delegates at the opening of the international climate negotiations, he emphasised the importance of scientific research and evidence in supporting countries to implement their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
RINGO is one of nine recognised observer constituencies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It represents universities, research institutions, think tanks and other independent organisations engaged in climate change research and analysis.
Unlike advocacy-focused constituencies, RINGO does not adopt positions on specific issues under negotiation. Instead, it promotes the use of rigorous, independent research to inform international climate policy and decision-making, drawing on expertise across the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts.
Speaking on behalf of RINGO, Dr Lennan said: “COP 31 is a COP of implementation, and implementation succeeds when decisions rest on robust evidence. RINGO’s members, universities and research institutions from every region, stand ready to provide the analysis, data and evaluation that Parties need to turn commitments into results.”
The statement highlighted several areas where research institutions can support the implementation of international climate commitments, including the second global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, the development and application of adaptation indicators, gender-responsive climate action, national transparency reporting and the environmental integrity of international carbon markets.
Dr Lennan also emphasised the importance of research that incorporates Indigenous and local knowledge, alongside greater investment in research capacity in the Global South and support for early career researchers.
An expert in the relationship between the ocean, climate change and international law, Dr Lennan’s research examines how international legal frameworks respond to the impacts of climate change on the marine environment. His work focuses particularly on the adaptation of international fisheries conservation and management to climate change, the protection of marine biodiversity, and the relationship between ocean governance and human rights.
Dr Lennan, who is also Co-Director of the University of Aberdeen Centre for Energy Law, has attended the annual UN climate change conferences since COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. His engagement with the UNFCCC process forms part of his wider research and policy work on integrating ocean-related issues into international climate change law and governance.
At COP31, Dr Lennan delivered the statement as a member of RINGO’s thematic group on Rio Synergies and Policy Coherence, which focuses on the relationships between international environmental agreements and the importance of coherent, evidence-based policy.
Concluding the statement, Dr Lennan reaffirmed the research community’s commitment to supporting countries in implementing their climate obligations:
“Implementation is where commitments meet reality, and evidence is what helps them succeed, he said. “RINGO remains committed to supporting all Parties at COP 31. We look forward to continuing this work together.”
COP31 takes place from 9 to 20 November 2026, with negotiations focused on implementing the Paris Agreement and strengthening international cooperation on climate change.
Key issues on the agenda include accelerating greenhouse gas emissions reductions, increasing climate finance for developing countries, advancing climate adaptation and the use of global adaptation indicators, supporting just transitions, and beginning the second global stocktake of collective progress towards the Paris Agreement’s goals.
The conference will also feature discussions on the role of oceans and marine ecosystems in climate action, alongside efforts to improve cooperation between the international frameworks addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.